>>> MARCH 12, 2024. I'M
ROBERT KETTLE, CHAIR OF THE
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. WILL
THE COMMITTEE CLERK PLEASE CALL
ROLL.
>> COUNCILMEMBER
HOLLINGSWORTH.
>> PRESENT.
>> COUNCILMEMBER MOORE.
>> PRESENT.
>> COUNCIL PRESIDENT NELSON.
>> PRESIDENT PRESENT.
>> COUNCILMEMBER SAKA.
>>
>> KETTLE.
>> HERE.
>> FIVE MEMBERS PRESENT.
>> AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE
MAY HAVE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS
JOIN US. THEY ARE WELCOME OF
COURSE AT ALL TIMES. IF THERE
IS NO OBJECTION, THE AGENDA
WILL BE ADOPTED. HEARING NO
OBJECTION, THE A DIDN'T AGENDA
ADOPTED. GOOD MORNING
EVERYONE. I REALLY APPRECIATE
YOU BEING HERE THIS MORNING. I
WANT TO EXTEND A WELCOME TO THE
PUBLIC SAFETY CIVIL SERVICE
COMMISSION. THAT IS WELL
REPRESENTED HERE. AND ALSO TO
MEMBERS OF THE OFFICE OF THE
MAYOR AND THE SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT. TODAY'S MEETING IS
ABOUT SPD STAFFING. THIS IS A
CENTRAL ISSUE AS WE FACE OUR
PUBLIC A FEW CHALLENGES. IT IS
A PILLAR OF OUR STRATEGIC
FRAMEWORK TO ADDRESS THE
PERMISSIVE ENVIRONMENT. WHILE
JUST ONE PILLAR, THE EFFECTS
ARE FELT FAR AND WIDE. IT IS
IMPORTANT. TODAY'S MEETING IS
ALSO ABOUT A PRIMARY MISSION
AREA OF THE COMMITTEE OF CRIME
AND SECURITY AND ALSO
FOUNDATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY OF
OVERSIGHT, ACCOUNTABILITY AND
TRANSPARENCY. WE DO THIS IN
THE SPIRIT OF ENGAGEMENT AND
SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT
FACTORS ARE CRUCIAL TO MAKE
PROGRESS IN STAFFING AND
SPECIFICALLY RECRUITING AND
RETENTION. WE, AS A COUNSEL,
SHOULD ALSO LOOK AT OURSELVES
IN THIS LOOK FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
AND ANSWERS. MY FATHER WHO
PASSED JUST OVER THREE YEARS
AGO HAD MANY SAYINGS HE WOULD
USE SUCH AS, HE WHO HESITATES
IS LOST." HE WOULD ALSO SAY AS
WELL, "DON'T GO WHERE YOU ARE
NOT WANTED." CLEARLY, THE
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL GAVE MIXED
MESSAGES OVER THE PAST YEARS AT
BEST THAT SADLY COMMUNICATED
POLICE OFFICERS WERE NOT
WANTED. THE DEFUNCT PLEDGE
CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE
THE MESSAGE WAS ONE OF, YOU ARE
NOT WANTED, WITH TRAGIC
CONSEQUENCES. WE COULD HAVE
ACHIEVED PUBLIC SAFETY REFORM,
NEEDED REFORM. NOT JUST FOR
THE CONSENT DECREE BUT ALSO FOR
REAL PROGRESS IN PUBLIC SAFETY
SO THAT IT WASN'T PLACED SO
SQUARELY ON SPD. WITHOUT THE
MASSIVE LOSS OF OFFICERS
RESULTING IN TROUBLED PUBLIC
SAFETY POSTER THAT WE SEE TODAY
ON THE STREETS. SO TODAY WE
ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPACT OF THE
DEFUNCT PLEDGE AND DRAW A LINE
UNDER IT AND MOVE FORWARD
TOGETHER. THAT COMMENT, I
JUST WANTED TO NOW ASK THAT WE
ARE OPEN FOR HYBRID COMMENT
PERIOD. PUBLIC COMMENTS SHOULD
RELATE TO ITEMS ON TODAY'S
AGENDA OR WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF
THE COMMITTEE. THERE IS NO
ADDITIONAL CLERK . HOW MANY
SPEAKERS ARE SIGNED UP FOR
TODAY?
>> CURRENTLY WE HAVE ONE IN
PERSON SPEAKER AND ONE REMOTE
SPEAKER SIGNED UP.
>> THANK YOU. EACH SPEAKER
WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES. WE WILL
START WITH AN PERSON SPEAKER'S
FIRST. CLERK, CAN YOU READ
PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS.
>> THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS
UP TO 20 MINUTES. SPEAKERS WILL
BE CALLED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH
THEY REGISTERED. SPEAKERS WILL
HEAR A TIME WHEN 10 SECONDS ARE
LEFT OF THE TIME. THE SPEAKER
MICROPHONE WILL BE MUTED IF
THEY DO NOT END THE COMMENT IN
THE ALLOTTED TIME TO ALLOW US
TO HAVE THE NEXT SPEAKER. THE
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW
OPEN AND WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE
FIRST SPEAKER ON THE LIST. THE
FIRST AND PERSON SPEAKER IS
JULIE RAWLS MD.
>> YEARS AGO, I READ AN ARTICLE
THAT SUMMARIZED IF AN AMBULANCE
TURNS ON THE SIREN AND SEES
LIGHTS VERSUS NOT, HOW MUCH
QUICKER DO YOU GET THE PATIENT
TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM? IT WAS
30 SECONDS. I BRING THIS UP
BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED AND
HOW CONCERNS HAVE GONE
ELSEWHERE VERSUS THE POLICIES
AND PROCEDURES BEING FOLLOWED
AND IN LIGHT OF AN ADVERSE
EVENT AND HOW DO YOU ADDRESS
THAT SITUATION? THIS MORNING I
DID A SEARCH AND DID RESEARCH
ON THE SAME SUBJECT. IF AN
AMBULANCE WITH AMBULANCE AND
LIGHTS, HOW MUCH QUICKER DO YOU
WANT TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE?
IT IS 45.3 SECONDS. I BRING
THIS UP BECAUSE AS A FAMILY
PHYSICIAN, I AT ONE TIME CALLED
POLICE TO HELP ME WITH
SOMETHING AND ENDED WITH AN
OFFICER WHO HAD BEEN
BRAINWASHED TO BELIEVE THAT IF
HE SAW (INDISCERNIBLE) WHICH HE
DID IN ME, THAT PERSON WAS
IMPAIRED BY OPIATES EVEN IF NO
OPIOIDS WERE ON THE DRUG
SCREEN. I WAS SHOCKED. WHO ONE
EARTH IS TRAINING THESE PEOPLE?
AND I KNOW I'M RUNNING OUT OF
TIME SO I WILL BRING IT UP
REALLY QUICK. NANNY ELLIS AND
WAYNE ALBERT FREDRICKSON. BOTH
DIED IN THE HANDS OF POLICE.
THAT WENT TO COURT AND TRAINERS
CAME TO DEFEND THE POLICE
OFFICERS AND THEIR PRACTICES AS
PART OF THE POLICY AND
PROCEDURE. THEREFORE THE
OFFICERS WEREN'T ACCOUNTABLE.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT,
IN AN ADVERSE EVENT, TAKE A
LOOK AT YOUR POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES. DON'T JUST DISMISS
THE WHOLE ISSUE. I WOULD LIKE
TO SEE SOMEONE LOOK AT THE
SCHOOLS WHO IS TRAINING THE
OFFICERS AND PERHAPS --
>> WHERE THERE IS OVERSIGHT
AND I COULD GO ON AND ON ON
THIS. TRIED TO GET THROUGH TO
MY FEDERAL WRAPS. THANK YOU.
>> THE FIRST REMOTE SPEAKER IS
KEVIN MOORE. PLEASE PRESS STAR
SIX WHEN YOU HEAR THE PROMPT
THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ON MUTED.
>> THANK YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME?
>> YES.
>> MY NAME IS KEVIN MOORE. I
LIVE IN DISTRICT WEEK. I'M
CALLING ON RECRUITMENT AND
RETENTION. THE LAST COUPLE
YEARS, THE CITY HAS BEEN
INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE
CONTROVERSIES AND IT HAS ALMOST
CERTAINLY AFFECTED RECRUITMENT
AND ATTENTION. TO NAME A FEW,
THERE ARE SOME LOSSES REGARDING
DETERMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE.
THERE WAS A LAWSUIT REGARDING
CARBON MONOXIDE LEVELS IN THE
WORKPLACE. THE OFFICER WHO
MADE THIS COMPLAINT WAS
REPEATEDLY MOCKED BY COLLEAGUES
FOR MAKING THIS COMPLAINT
REPORTED BY THE STRANGER. THERE
WAS A TOMBSTONE IN THE BREAK
ROOM ON THE DESK OF A YOUNG
BLACK MAN . FOUND ONLY BY BODY
CAMERA FOOTAGE. AND AN OFFICER
REFERENCED DRIVING OVER 70
MILES AN HOUR OUTRUNNING AND
UNION LEADERSHIP JOKED ABOUT
THE DEATH. THE LEADERSHIP OF
SPD RESPONSE WILL FOR CREATING
THE WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT IN
WHICH ALL OF THESE THINGS
HAPPEN ARE NOW COMING HERE
LATER THIS MORNING TO TELL YOU
THE REASON THEY CAN'T FIRE
OFFICERS IS PRIMARILY LOW PAY.
I URGE THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER
HOW THESE OTHER FACTORS MIGHT
PREVENT SOME OF THE BEST
CANDIDATES, THE EXACT PEOPLE WE
WANT IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
AND NOT CONSIDER APPLYING TO A
DEPARTMENT WITH SUCH DEEP
CULTURAL ISSUES. YOU WILL HEAR
THE REASON BASED ON RECRUIT
SURVEY RESULTS. WHAT ABOUT THE
PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T APPLY
BECAUSE THEY SAW THESE STORIES
AND SAID, I WOULD NEVER WORK
FOR THE DEPARTMENT. IT IS SO
POISONOUS. I WOULD NEVER WANT
TO WORK HERE. AND THEN THEY
SEE THE OTHER DEPARTMENT THAT
DOESN'T HAVE THE PROBLEMS.
PLEASE CONSIDER THIS AND DIG
INTO WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. DO
NOT TAKE SPD LEADERSHIP AT
THEIR WORD FOR THIS. THANK YOU.
>> THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL
REGISTERED SPEAKERS .
>> THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR
THE COMMENTS. BOTH IN PERSON
AND ONLINE. I HAVE MY GLASSES
SO I KNOW WHERE I AM IN MY
LISTING HERE. WE WILL START
WITH THE FIRST ITEM OF
BUSINESS. PLEASE, CLERK, CAN
YOU READ ITEM ONE INTO THE
RECORD?
>> PUBLIC SAFETY CIVIL SERVICE
COMMISSION, BRIEFING AND
DISCUSSION WITH DIRECTOR ANDREA
SCHEELE.
>> WELCOME DIRECTOR AND THANK
YOU FOR THE OTHER MEMBERS OF
THE COMMISSION JOINING YOU BOTH
ON THE COMMISSION ITSELF AND
THE STAFF. PLEASE INTRODUCE
THEM WHEN YOU START THANK YOU.
WHEN THE CLERK HELPS WITH THE
PRESENTATION. .
>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBERS.
THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE,
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA AND THOSE
WHO ARE WITH US TODAY. IT IS
NICE TO SEE YOU. MY NAME IS
ANDREA SCHEELE. I'M THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CIVIL
SERVICE COMMISSION AND THE
PUBLIC SAFETY CIVIL SERVICE
COMMISSION. I HAVE WITH ME
TODAY, CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC
SERVICE COMMISSION OR THE PSCE.
RICHARD GREENE. CHAIR RICHARD
GREENE IS A RETIRED PROSECUTOR
WHO WORKED FOR, 30 YEARS?
>> 33 YEARS.
>> 33 YEARS IN THE LOT
APARTMENT IN THE CITY OF
SEATTLE AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR
HIS SERVICE. AND I HAVE SARA
BUTLER, THE POLICY AND
OPERATIONS ADVISOR FOR THE
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. I
WANT TO POINT OUT THAT IN THE
AUDIENCE, WE ALSO HAVE
COMMISSIONER STACEY CANNOLI
FROM THE COMMISSIONER PSES. I
WILL TRY TO MOVE QUICKLY
THROUGH MY PRESENTATION TODAY
BUT AND IF YOU SHOULD REACH OUT
TO ME AT ANYTIME IF YOU HAVE
QUESTIONS OR ANY FOLLOW UP
TODAY'S PRESENTATION OR IF
THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE YOU
WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS.
>> THANK YOU. PLEASE PROCEED .
>> I'M GOING TO START BROAD
TODAY AND THANK YOU FOR THE
TIME TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION'S.
TODAY'S MAIN TOPIC IS POLICE
RECRUITING AND RETENTION AND I
WILL TALK A FEW MINUTES ABOUT
THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
PATIENTS ROLE IN THE CITY OF
SEATTLE ECOSYSTEM AND PUBLIC
SAFETY CIVIL SERVICES ROLE IN
HIRING POLICE OFFICERS.
>> CAN YOU HELP US FLIP
THROUGH? THANK YOU. THANK
YOU SO MUCH .
>> YOU HAVE SEEN THE CHART
BEFORE. IT IS A HELPFUL
ILLUSTRATION FOR ME WHEN
HANDLING WHERE THE CIVIL
SERVICE COMMISSION SITS. THE
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION IS A
SMALL DEPARTMENT. WE RESIDE
HERE ALONG WITH OTHER
INDEPENDENT DEPARTMENTS . AND
IT HOUSES THE TWO CIVIL SERVICE
COMMISSION'S. PUBLIC SAFETY
CIVIL SERVICE AND CIVIL
SERVICE. IN WASHINGTON, SIMILAR
TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT,
HIRING A PROMOTIONAL PROCESS IS
SUPPOSED TO BE INSULATED FROM
POLITICAL INFLUENCE AND SO THE
CITY OF SEATTLE -- THE REASON
CIVIL SERVICE PROCESSES ARE NOT
INSIDE THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH IS
FOR SEVERAL REASONS. TO INSTILL
PUBLIC TRUST AND CONFIDENCE.
FOR THE FAITH IN THE
IMPARTIALITY OF SERVANTS WHEN
THEY RECEIVE THAT RECRUITMENT
AND DISAPPEARING DECISIONS
BASED ON OBJECTIVE AND
NONPOLITICAL CRITERIA. WE ALSO
BELIEVE THAT IT PROMOTES
PROFESSIONALISM AND MERIT BASED
ASSESSMENT FOR HIRING AND
PROMOTION. ACCOUNTABILITY AND
TRANSPARENCY AND PROMOTES
EQUITY. THE EEO LAW REQUIRES
US TO CREATE VALID, EQUITABLE
ASSESSMENTS. WHAT THAT MEANS IS
THAT WE MONITOR ALL PHASES AND
PIECES OF THE PROCESS TO ENSURE
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF
DISCRIMINATORY IMPACT. WE HAVE
TWO CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION'S
HERE IN THE CITY OF SEATTLE.
ONE IS A CREATURE OF THE
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL WHICH IS
THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION'S.
I WANT TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT
VERY MUCH TODAY BUT IT IS AN
IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CITY
ACCOUNTABILITY PROCESS AND HOW
WE EMPLOY PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF
SEATTLE. HEATHER IS THE PUBLIC
SAFETY CIVIL SERVICE
COMMISSION. BOTH COMMISSIONS
HERE HAVE A DISCIPLINARY
APPEALS EMPLOYEES IN THEIR
SYSTEM. THAT IS IF AN
EMPLOYEE CHOOSES NOT TO PURSUE
A GRIEVANCE UNDER THE
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
AND THEY ARE A MEMBER OF THE
CIVIL SERVICE. THEY CAN APPEAL
TO THE CIVIL SERVICE FOR PUBLIC
SAFETY COMMISSION. BOTH
COMMISSIONS INVESTIGATE
POLITICAL INFLUENCE AND HIRING.
BOTH SYSTEMS MAKE
RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THE
CITY'S SYSTEM TO THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE AND CITY COUNCIL. THE
PUBLIC SAFETY CIVIL SERVICE
ALSO ADMINISTRATES CIVIL
SERVICE EXAMS AND PROMOTIONAL
FOR MOST RANKS IN THE FIRE AND
POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
>> THE CIVIL SERVICE
COMMISSION IS CHARGED WITH
OVERSIGHT OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY
CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM AND
CLASSIFICATION OF PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMISSIONS AND THAT SYSTEM.
WE DO THAT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
THE SEATTLE HUMAN RESOURCES
DEPARTMENT. I FIND IT HELPFUL
TO HAVE AN ILLUSTRATION OF OUR
EMPLOYEES AND WHERE THEY SIT IN
THE CITY OF SEATTLE EMPLOYMENT
SYSTEM. THIS IS A PRETTY
SELF-EXPLANATORY CHART. MOST
EMPLOYEES ARE MEMBERS. MOST
POSITIONS AND MEMBERS ARE IN
THE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM. THE
GRAY PORTION IS THE FIRE AND
POLICE DEPARTMENTS. AND THERE
ALSO CIVIL SERVICE POSITIONS,
CIVILIANS WITHIN THE CIVIL
SERVICE SYSTEM.
>> THE SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
IS NOT PART OF EITHER CIVIL
SERVICE SYSTEM . AND THE
BRIGHT BLUE SECTION REPRESENTS
EXEMPT EMPLOYEES AND A LARGE
PROPORTION OF THAT IS ALSO
TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES. EXEMPT
REGULAR EMPLOYEES NOT IN THE
SYSTEM. I'M GOING TO TALK
MORE ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY CIVIL
SERVICE. IT IS REQUIRED BY
STATE LAW, SPECIFICALLY CHAPTER
4112 AND 4108 THAT SET OUT UPON
MODEL SERVICE SYSTEMS FOR
POLICE. STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT
CITIES EITHER UTILIZE THE STATE
MODEL OR ADOPT THEIR OWN MODEL
WHICH IS WITH THE CITY OF
SEATTLE DID. ANY WASHINGTON
CITY SYSTEM MUST SUBSTANTIALLY
ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS OF THE
STATE STATUTE. CIVIL SERVICE
IS SO CENTRAL TO SEATTLE'S
PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES
AND HOW IT EMPLOYS WORKERS THAT
THE SYSTEM WAS INCORPORATED IN
THE CITY CHARTER AND ARTICLE 16
SECTION THREE. THE ARTICLE
SETS OUT THAT THERE SHOULD BE A
SEPARATE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM
FOR POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS
ALONGSIDE THE REGULAR CIVIL
SERVICE SYSTEM. SOME OF THE
EXCLUDED POSITIONS, ACTUALLY
ALL OF THE EXCLUDED POSITIONS
ARE SET FORTH IN THE SEATTLE
MUNICIPAL CODE. THOSE ARE
ELECTED EMPLOYEES, APPOINTED
EMPLOYEES, ASSISTANT ATTORNEYS
OR OTHER POSITIONS WITH CERTAIN
CHARACTERISTICS DESCRIBED IN
THAT PORTION OF THE CODE.
SMC.408 IS THE CIVIL SERVICE
ORDINANCE. IN RELATION TO
POLICE OFFICERS AND
FIREFIGHTERS AND SPECIFICALLY
TO HIRING, THE PUBLIC SAFETY
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION MAKES
AND ENFORCES RULES FOR
EXAMINATION, APPOINTMENTS,
PROMOTIONS, TRANSFERS,
DEMOTIONS, REINSTATEMENTS,
SUSPENSIONS, LAYOFFS,
DISCHARGES AND CONNECTED
MATTERS. THE PUBLIC SAFETY
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION ALSO
DIRECTS DEVELOPMENT AND
ADMINISTRATION OF MERIT-BASED
ENTRY-LEVEL CIVIL SERVICE EXAMS
FOR THE SEATTLE FIRE AND POLICE
DEPARTMENTS. THE COMMISSION
CREATES AND MAINTAINS HIRING
REGISTERS, PROMOTIONAL
REGISTERS INCLUDING
APPLICATIONS OF VETERANS
PREFERENCE AND SERVICE CREDIT
AND OTHER TYPES OF PREFERENCE.
AND WE SERVICE ABOUT --
CERTIFY ELIGIBLE CANDIDATE
NAMES TO THE AUTHORITY WHEN
THEY WISH TO FILL ONE ARM MORE
VACANT POSITIONS.
>> I HAVE LISTED OR DESCRIBED
THE PRINCIPLES HERE. AND THERE
ARE MORE BUT THESE ARE THE MOST
CRUCIAL ONES IN MY VIEW. FAIR
AND OPEN COMPETITION FOR
PROMOTION AND HIRING. FAIR AND
EQUAL TREATMENT FOR APPLICANTS
AND EMPLOYEES. THAT EXAMS ARE
BASED ON THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS
AND ABILITIES NECESSARY TO DO
THE JOB THAT WE ARE HIRING OR
PROMOTING TO DO. PROPER REGARD
FOR EMPLOYEES AND APPLICANTS,
PRIVACY AND CONSTITUTIONAL
RIGHTS. THE RIGHT TO APPEAL
SERIOUS DISCIPLINE TO THE
COMMISSION. INDEPENDENCE OF THE
COMMISSION AND A ONE YEAR
PROBATIONARY FOR NEW EMPLOYEES
BEFORE THEY ARE VESTED IN THE
CIVIL SERVICE RIGHTS., MOST
CIVIL SERVICE RIGHTS I SHOULD
SAY. THE COMMISSION IS
INDEPENDENT AND THAT IS
REQUIRED BY STATE LAW AND HAS
BEEN AFFIRMED BY THE WASHINGTON
STATE COURT OF APPEALS IN THE
CASE THAT I SAID HERE. THE
SEATTLE POLICE OFFICERS GUILD
WOULD BE THE CITY OF SEATTLE.
THAT IS A CASE WHERE THE COURT
OF APPEALS VOIDED THE CITY OF
SEATTLE'S TRANSFER OF CERTAIN
FUNCTIONS TO THE PERSONNEL
DEPARTMENT, HOUSING AND
EXECUTIVE BRANCH. THE COURT OF
APPEALS INSTRUCTED THE CITY TO
GO BACK AND REMEDY THE
SITUATION AND RESTORE THOSE
INDEPENDENT FUNCTIONS TO THE
PUBLIC SAFETY CIVIL SERVICE
COMMISSION. THAT WAS IN 2004.
>> WE ALSO PLAY A ROLE IN THE
2017 POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY
ORDINANCE . I WON'T GO INTO
DETAILS BUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION IS
CALLED OUT AS THE PREFERRED
VENUE FOR DISCIPLINARY APPEALS
FOR POLICE OFFICERS . AND THE
ORDINANCE SET FORTH THAT THE
COMMISSION SHALL ESTABLISH
PROGRAMS FOR MULTI LANGUAGE
PREFERENCE POINTS AND COMMUNITY
SERVICE PREFERENCE POINTS FOR
THE ENTRY-LEVEL POLICE OFFICER
RANK AND THE COMMISSION HAS
DONE THOSE THINGS. WHAT DOES
THE COMMISSION DO? YOU HAVE
MET TWO OF OUR COMMISSIONERS.
THEY ARE HERE TODAY. THE
COMMISSIONER WHO COULD NOT MAKE
IT IS A FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC
AND IS CURRENTLY TRAINING AND
COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY. I
THINK HE WANTED TO BE. WE ARE
SUBJECT TO THE OPEN PUBLIC
MEETINGS ACT WHEN CONDUCTING
BUSINESS. AND THE COMMISSION
WEARS TWO HATS. AT TIMES, WHEN
THEY ARE CONDUCTING APPEAL
HEARINGS . THOSE ARE
QUASIJUDICIAL ADMINISTRATIVE
HEARINGS. APPEALABLE TO A
HIGHER COURT. THE KING COUNTY
SUPERIOR COURT TYPICALLY. AND
CIVIL SERVICE CASES, PUBLIC
SAFETY CIVIL SERVICE CASES HAVE
GONE TO THE WASHINGTON STATE
COURT OF APPEALS. THE
COMMISSION HAS A LEGISLATIVE
RULEMAKING ROLE WHICH IT
CONDUCTS OFTEN. A LITTLE BIT
MORE ABOUT THEIR DUTIES. THEY
ARE REQUIRED TO CONDUCT MONTHLY
MEETINGS TO CONDUCT BUSINESS.
THE HEAR APPEALS OF ALLEGED
VIOLATION OF PUBLIC SAFETY
CIVIL RULES. THEY OVERSEE THE
MERIT-BASED TESTING SYSTEM AND
I WILL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT
THAT. OVERSEEING OTHER
FUNCTIONS SUCH AS
CLASSIFICATION AND PROBATIONARY
PERIODS. THIS IS WORK THAT
PRIMARILY I AND THE STAFF OF
THE COMMISSIONS DUE ON A
DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. AND THE
OVERSIGHT OF THAT SYSTEM.
>> JOINTLY, WITH THE CIVIL
SERVICE COMMISSION'S,
COMMISSIONERS OF WHICH THERE
ARE THREE, THEY SUPERVISE THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. THEY ARE
MY APPOINTING AUTHORITY. I'M
GOING TO HONE IN ON PUBLIC
SAFETY EXAMS. I WON'T LIST ALL
THE RANKS HERE. BUT I WON'T
LIST THEM ALL VERBALLY BUT
THESE ARE THE RANKS FOR WHICH
OUR SMALL TEAM CONDUCTS,
DEVELOPS AND MAINTAINS SCORES
FOR ALL THESE RANKS IN THE
FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT. IN
ADDITION TO ENTRY-LEVEL, THE
PROMOTIONAL EXAMS ARE REQUIRED
BY LAW. THESE EXAMS SUPPORT
THOUSANDS OF CANDIDATES AND
HUNDREDS OF EXAMINATIONS
ANNUALLY. PROMOTIONAL EXAMS ARE
REQUIRED TO BE ADMINISTERED AT
LEAST ONCE EVERY TWO YEARS.
SOMETIMES MORE FREQUENTLY.
ESPECIALLY IN THE PAST FEW
YEARS WHERE WE HAVE LOST SO
MANY FOLKS AND THE LISTS HAVE
BEEN SHORTER THAN THE PAST FEW
YEARS. PROMOTIONAL LISTS I
MEAN. ENTRY-LEVEL EXAMS ARE
ADMINISTERED BASED ON
DEPARTMENTAL NEED, STAFFING AND
RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO CONDUCT
EXAMS. DRIVEN PRIMARILY I WOULD
SAY BY NEED. PSSE PLAYS AN
IMPORTANT ROLE MANY GETTING
RISK FOR THE CITY OF SEATTLE.
WE ARE MANAGING RISK WELL,
THERE ARE FEWER OR NO
HEADLINES. THE TESTING TEAM
HAS KEPT SEATTLE OUT OF THE
NEWS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
THESE ARE LINKS AND HOPEFULLY
YOU HAVE THE LIVE LINKS. IF YOU
DON'T, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT
YOU DO. BECAUSE THEY ARE WORTH
READING. THESE ARE LINKS TO
ARTICLES FROM OTHER
JURISDICTIONS WHO HAVE HAD
PROBLEMS IN THEIR PUBLIC SAFETY
CIVIL SERVICE PROCESSES. POOR
QUALITY EXAMS AND PROCESSES CAN
RESULT IN DISCRIMINATORY,
ADVERSE IMPACT. USUALLY TO
WOMEN AND MINORITY GROUPS,
WHICH CAN RESULT IN COSTLY
LAWSUITS AND CAN RESULT IN
DAMAGE TO AN AGENCY'S
REPUTATION OR TRUST WITHIN THE
COMMUNITY. THEY CERTAINLY CAN
HARM EMPLOYEE MORALE AND
ULTIMATELY PORT CHESTER
PROCESSES CAN UNDERMINE THE
PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT'S
ABILITY TO STAFF ADEQUATELY AND
FULFILL THEIR MISSIONS. THIS IS
A BIG PART OF WHY OUR TEAM
HOLDS ITSELF TO THE HIGHEST
STANDARDS AND WHY THE
COMMISSION IS FIRM ABOUT
FOLLOWING RULES AND LAWS THAT
APPLY TO IT. THROUGHOUT THE
EXAM PROCESSES, THE FIRE AND
POLICE EXAMS UNIT WORK
DILIGENTLY TO ENSURE THE
QUALITY AND INTEGRITY OF OUR
POLICE SAFETY EXAMS . I
ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THE BRIEF
DESCRIPTIONS ATTACHED TO THE
SLIDE. WE REALLY HAVE A ROBUST
SYSTEM FOR ENSURING THAT OUR
TESTS ARE DEVELOPED,
ADMINISTERED AND ASSESSED AT
THE HIGHEST LEVELS. WE CENTER
EQUITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN OUR
WORK AND WE ARE CONTINUALLY
REVIEWING AND IMPROVING THE
PROCESSES TO FIND EFFICIENCIES
AND TO COMPLY WITH CHANGING
LAWS.
>> CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION.
AS YOU GO FORWARD ON THIS, IN
TERMS OF THE CONTINUOUS PROCESS
ANALYSIS IMPROVEMENT, YOU ARE
LAYING OUT THINGS AS THEY ARE.
ALSO CONSIDER IT A WISH LIST
WHERE THIS WOULD BE GREAT TO
HAVE. BUT THE ASK, WHAT CAN WE
DO TO HELP MAKE YOU DO YOUR JOB
BETTER, QUICKER AND FASTER AND
IN TERMS OF RESPONDING TO THE
DEPARTMENT'S NEEDS. THAT MIGHT
BE DIFFERENT PARTS. BUT THIS IS
WHAT WE ARE DOING AND AT THE
SAME TIME, ADDING THAT THIS
WOULD BE AN AVENUE THAT YOU AS
A COUNSELOR, CITY GOVERNMENT OR
OVERALL COULD HELP US TO OUR
JOB BETTER AND WHAT THINGS
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE, THAT
YOU CANNOT CHANGE YOURSELF?
ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES AS
YOU ARE GOING THROUGH THIS PART
OF THE BRIEFING.
>> THANK YOU. I WILL BE SURE
TO ADD THAT WHERE I THINK IT IS
APPROPRIATE AND I WILL GIVE YOU
A PREVIEW. WE HAVE BEEN IN
TALKS WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT
HOW TO PROCESS CANDIDATES MORE
QUICKLY AND TO GET THE NAMES OF
PASSING CANDIDATES TO SPD MORE
SPEEDY. AND YOU AND I HAVE
TALKED ABOUT THAT,
COUNCILMEMBER. WE ARE IN TALKS
WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND THE
COUNCIL IS PLAYING A CRUCIAL
ROLE. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WILL
ALLOW US TO DO THAT , TO
INCREASE THE SPEED BY WHICH WE
ARE ABLE TO PRODUCE THE NAMES
OF PASSING CANDIDATES TO SPD
FROM SEVEN TIMES A YEAR TO
APPROXIMATELY 26 TIMES A YEAR.
AND I WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THAT IN A FEW MINUTES.
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
>> THANK YOU.
>> DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER
QUESTION?
>> NOW.
>> OKAY. THE THINGS THAT OUR
UNIT DOES NOT DO, AND SPD WILL
BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO ALL OF
THESE. I WON'T READ THEM TO
YOU BUT WE ARE NOT THE
RECRUITING ARM OF THIS
FUNCTION. AND THERE ARE
ADDITIONAL PREHIRE ASSESSMENTS
THAT SPD CONDUCTS THEMSELVES.
THEY ARE LISTED HERE. THEY ARE
ALSO THE HIRING AUTHORITY FOR
THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
OBVIOUSLY. AND THAT LEADS ME TO
THE POLICE OFFICER EXAMS.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, I KNOW YOU ARE
PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN
KNOWING WHERE EACH OF THE
ENTITIES THAT SHOULD APPEAR TO
TALK TO YOU TODAY, WHAT THEIR
ROLE IS. HERE IS AN
ILLUSTRATION OF OURS. IF I WERE
TO IMPROVE THE SLIDE, I WOULD
USE THE CHEVRONS TO REPRESENT
THE FUNNEL OF CANDIDATES OR AS
THEY MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO THE RECRUITING CHEVRON WOULD
BE THE LARGEST. AND THAT IS
NOW SPD AND RECENTLY
TRANSFERRED FROM THE HUMAN
RESOURCES DEPARTMENT. THEY ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR RECRUITING. MY
TEAM MANAGES ONE PORTION OF THE
COMPLEX HIRING PROCESS. WE ARE
THE POINT OF CONTACT DURING THE
EXAM PROCESS. SO WE HANDLED
THE EXAMS. WE CURRENTLY PROCESS
EXAM CANDIDATES AND CYCLES.
THIS IS GETTING ON WHAT YOUR
QUESTION WAS, CHAIR KETTLE.
CANDIDATES APPLY AND COMPLETE
THE TESTING PROCESS DURING AN
APPROXIMATELY 6-8 WEEK CYCLE
AND AT THE END OF THE CYCLE, WE
PUBLISH A HIRING ELIGIBILITY
REGISTER WITH PASSING CANDIDATE
NAMES TO SPD. WE CALL IT
PUBLISH BUT WE SEND IT TO THEM.
SO CURRENTLY THAT IS HAPPENING
EVERY 6-8 WEEKS. AND AS I
SAID, WE THINK WE COULD SPEED
-- OR WE KNOW WE COULD SPEED
THAT UP GIVEN APPROPRIATE
RESOURCES. THIS IS ONE MORE
ILLUSTRATION OF WHERE WE RESIDE
FOLLOWING RECRUITMENT. CIVIL
SERVICE TESTING AND SPEEDY
PREEMPLOYMENT SCREENINGS OCCUR
AND THEY FOLLOW CIVIL SERVICE
TESTING NECESSARILY. A LITTLE
BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT PUBLIC
SAFETY CIVIL SERVICE DOES FOR
ENTRY-LEVEL POLICE OFFICER
HIRING. WE HANDLE CANDIDATES
FROM APPLICATION UNTIL WE
PASSED HER NAME TO SPD AND
CERTIFY THEIR NAME TO SPD AS
HAVING PASSED THE EXAM. WE
HAVE MANY CONTACTS WITH
CANDIDATES DURING THE PERIOD.
SIX OR MORE. CANDIDATES CAN
REACH OUT TO OUR TEAM FOR HELP
AT ANY TIME. WE HAVE
CONSISTENT CLEAR MESSAGING
INCLUDING A MESSAGE CREATED BY
CHIEF DIAZ. CANDIDATES CAN
EASILY OPT IN TO INTERVIEW NOW,
WHICH YOU HEAR ABOUT LATER FROM
SPD. THEY CAN ATTEND A
WORKSHOP BY ONE OF THE SEATTLE
POLICE RECRUITERS OR THEY CAN
BE IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH A
RECRUITER. AND WE NOTIFY
CANDIDATES WHETHER THEY PASSED
OR FAILED AND TRANSITION TO SPD
FOR NEXT STEPS. JUST A FEW
WORDS ABOUT THE EXAM THAT WE DO
ADMINISTRATE. IN 2012, THE
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
ENTERED A CONSENT DECREE WITH
THE DOJ TO IMPLEMENT CERTAIN
REFORMS. IN THE WAKE OF THE
INVESTIGATION AND CONSENT
DECREE, SEATTLE MADE IT A
PRIORITY TO HELP DEVELOP AN
EXAM THAT WOULD ASSESS THE
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
REQUIRED OF SEATTLE POLICE
OFFICERS. THE EXAM WAS TAILORED
TO ASSESS CANDIDATE'S
COGNITIVE ABILITIES AND TO
EVALUATE CANDIDATE'S SKILLS
AND ABILITIES RELATED TO
JUDGMENT, APPROPRIATE HUMAN
INTERACTION, INTEGRITY AND
ETHICS . SEATTLE INVESTED
HEAVILY IN THE EXAMS
DEVELOPMENT PART WITH PERSONAL
METRICS AND ALSO CALLED THE
NATIONAL TESTING NETWORK WHICH
IS HEADQUARTERED IN LYNNWOOD,
WASHINGTON. SIGNIFICANT CITY
RESOURCES WERE INVESTED IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE EXAM,
INCLUDING STAFF TIME. THE
TESTING UNIT WAS INVOLVED. IT
WAS PROJECT MANAGED. IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH NTN AND SPD,
PAID $250,000 INTO THE TEST
DEVELOPMENT. SUPPLIED A
LIEUTENANT, SERGEANT AND TWO
OFFICERS TO SERVE AS SUBJECT
MATTER EXPERTS IN DEVELOPING
EXAM QUESTIONS AND SCENARIOS.
SPD RESOURCES, FACILITIES,
STAFF, WERE USED IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE EXAM. THE
CITY OF SEATTLE MADE A
TREMENDOUS INVESTMENT BECAUSE
THERE WAS A VERY CLEAR
UNDERSTANDING AMONG SPD, THAT
WE NEEDED TO ROBUSTLY EVALUATE
OUR CANDIDATES, SO THAT THEY
WOULD BE ABLE TO FUNCTION AS A
SEATTLE POLICE OFFICER. AND
SINCE WE HAVE BEGUN USING THIS
TEST, IT HAS BEEN ENHANCED TO
MORE DEEPLY EVALUATE
CANDIDATE'S INTEGRITY AND
GROUP BIAS. THE TEST IS USED BY
MANY OF SEATTLE --
>> WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM
COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
>> CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE
PREVIOUS SLIDE.
>> SURE.
>> FROM WHAT YOU JUST SAID, IS
THIS EXAM FIRST OF ALL FOR
ENTRY-LEVEL OR IT DID YOU
DEVELOP SPECIFIC EXAMS FOR --
MOVING FROM SERGEANT TO
LIEUTENANT, ET CETERA?
>> THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
THE FRONTLINE NATIONAL EXAM --
AND IT IS A NATIONAL TEST. WE
ARE NOT THE ONLY AGENCY THAT
USES IT. SEATTLE USES IT ONLY
FOR ENTRY-LEVEL POLICE
OFFICERS. ALL THE PROMOTIONAL
EXAMS, FOR RANKS OF THE FIRE
AND POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE
DEVELOP AN HOUSE, IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER
CONSULTANTS. BUT PRIMARILY
DEVELOPED BY CITY STAFF ,
INCLUDING EXPERTS, SUBJECT
MATTER EXPERTS FROM THE SEATTLE
POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS, AT
THE RINK THAT WILL BE TESTED OR
HIGHER. SO IT IS A LONG
ANSWER. IT IS JUST THE POLICE
OPTICS OR EXAM I'M TALKING
ABOUT TODAY.
>> SEE YOU DEVELOP THE
QUESTIONS AND THEN THE VENDOR
OR THE TESTING SERVICE
ADMINISTERS IT? IS THAT WHAT
I'M UNDERSTANDING?
>> THE TEST WAS DEVELOPED IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH THIS TESTING
COMPANY. THAT IS WHAT THEY DO
THERE. PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL
ASSESSMENT AND TESTING
DEVELOPMENT COMPANY. NTN WHICH
IS EITHER A SUBSIDIARY OF.
METRICS OR THEY ARE THE SAME
COMPANY ESSENTIALLY. THEY ARE
THE EXPERTS IN TEST
DEVELOPMENT. THE SEATTLE
POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS THE
EXPERT IN, WHAT IS THE JOB OF A
SEATTLE POLICE OFFICER? OF
THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
PARTICIPATED IN HELPING NTN
DEVELOP THE EXAM AND VALIDATING
THE EXAM. SINCE THAT TIME,
ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN
ADDED TO FURTHER EVALUATE
INTEGRITY, USE OF AUTHORITY ,
ET CETERA.
>> SO BASICALLY, THEY HAVE A
TEST AND THEN YOU HELP DEVELOP
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR --
THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THE
CONTEXT FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND
VALUES.
>> QUESTIONS AND SCENARIOS.
>> YES.
>> GETTING THE QUESTIONS TO
THE TEST GIVER AND ADMINISTER
THE EXAM.
>> WE DID NOT DEVELOP THE
QUESTIONS ON OUR OWN. BUT IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH THOSE TESTING
CONSULTANTS. ESSENTIALLY, I
THINK THE ANSWER IS YES TO YOUR
QUESTION.
>> IT SAYS DEVELOP. SO I JUST
WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS
SPECIFIC TO SEATTLE PATIENTS
WORK? AND WHAT QUESTIONS WERE
DEVELOPED BY THIS PROCESS YOU
ARE DESCRIBING IN WHICH YOU
HAVE JUST GIVEN BY THE TESTING
SERVICE. THAT IS ALL I WAS
WANTING TO KNOW.
>> I THINK IT WAS THAT --
POLICE OFFICERS GAVE
INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT TASKS --
IT IS CALLED THE JOB TASK
ANALYSIS. THEY GIVE INFORMATION
ABOUT THE TASKS AND THE
FREQUENCY AND OTHER FACTORS OF
THE TASKS THEY PERFORM TO
PERFORM A TASK ANALYSIS AND THE
VENDOR, NTN, WORKED WITH
SEATTLE POLICE AND EXAM STAFF
TO DEVELOP QUESTIONS AND
SCENARIOS THAT WOULD TEST THE
COMPETENCIES AND DIMENSIONS
THAT ARE NECESSARY TO PERFORM
THE JOB OF A SEATTLE POLICE
OFFICER. IT IS VERY MUCH A
SEATTLE TEST BUT IT IS ALSO
USED BY MANY OTHER CITIES
ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. BUT
IT IS NOT -- I STRIKE THAT
THOUGHT. I DON'T KNOW WHERE
WAS GOING WITH THAT.
>> COULD ANY VENDOR USE THE
QUESTIONS THAT WERE DEVELOPED?
>> NO. IT IS A PRODUCT THAT
BELONGS TO THE NATIONAL TESTING
NETWORK .
>> I WAS READING THE NOTES.
THE MINUTES -- AND I'M SORRY
TO BELABOR THIS. I WAS READING
THE MINUTES JUST FOR FUN OF
SOME MEETINGS AND I NOTICED
THAT THE MINUTES OF MARCH
23rd, 2023, SAY THAT OF THE 27
-- I DON'T KNOW IF THIS
APPLIES BUT 27 SURGEONS WHO
PARTICIPATED IN THE EXAM FOR
POLICE LIEUTENANT, THERE WERE
21 POSTTEST FILES. I GUESS THAT
MEANS MAYBE THEY DIDN'T PASS
AND THEY ARE PROTESTING THE
RESULTS. IS THAT WHAT THAT
MEANS? I'M JUST WONDERING HOW
MANY PEOPLE DON'T PASS OUR
TEST AND IF THAT IS USUAL.
>> THE SERGEANT EXAM IS NOT THE
EXAM I'M TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
BUT IF YOUR QUESTION IS, HOW
MANY PEOPLE PASS THE
ENTRY-LEVEL EXAM --
>> YES. AND, YES, GO AHEAD.
WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF
PEOPLE THAT PASS?
>> THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE.
I HAVE THE TOTALS.
>> WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION
LATER.
>> IN 2022, I HAVE
APPLICATIONS. I DON'T HAVE THE
EXACT STATISTICS FOR YOU BUT I
CAN GET THEM FOR YOU AND SEND
THEM TO YOU AFTER THE MEETING.
>> THANK YOU.
>> AND I QUICKLY FOLLOW-UP. I
LIKE THIS SLIDE A LOT. IT IS
AN IMPORTANT SLIDE. OBVIOUSLY
DEVELOPING IT WITH RESPECT TO
THE CONSENT DECREE AND THE
PRIORITIES LISTED. OBVIOUSLY
THESE ARE PRIORITIES THAT WE
NEED AND WE SHOULD HIGHLIGHT
THE IMPORTANCE TO THE OVERSIGHT
PIECES AND ACCOUNTABILITY
PIECES. WE HAVE THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE POLICE
COMMISSION HERE AND OBVIOUSLY,
THIS GOES TO THE REFORM WE ARE
LOOKING TO DO AND SO LIKE THE
EXAM AND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING
TO DO WITH IT, THE QUESTION
SOMETIMES COMES AND I THINK
SOMEWHAT TO THIS IS
UNDERSTANDING, WAS THIS OUR
EXAM. SO YOU CLARIFIED THAT.
SO IT'S LIKE A DUAL
PROPRIETARY OF NTN. AND WHAT IS
YOUR ASSESSMENT OF NTN? I ASKED
BECAUSE IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING
THAT ONLY SEATTLE AND ONE OTHER
JURISDICTION IN THE REGION
USES NTN EXCLUSIVELY AND THERE
OUR JURISDICTIONS THAT USE IT
IN COMBINATION WITH ANOTHER
TESTING SERVICE AND EVERY OTHER
JURISDICTION USES A SEPARATE
TESTING SERVICE. SINCE THIS IS
A QUESTION OUT THERE, I WOULD
LIKE TO YOUR THOUGHTS OR YOUR
OPINION ON NTN. AND THE
QUESTION OF USING IT SLOWLY
VERSUS OTHERS AND WHY TO OTHER
JURISDICTIONS NOT USE NTN? IS
THERE ANYTHING ALONG THOSE
LINES SPECIFIC TO THE TESTING
SERVICE THAT YOU CAN SPEAK TO?
>> SEATTLE HAS HAD A REALLY
GOOD EXPENSE WORKING WITH THE
NATIONAL TESTING NETWORK. THEY
ARE EXTREMELY RESPONSIVE. WE
THINK THEY HAVE A VERY HIGH
QUALITY PRODUCT. ALL OF THESE
KINDS OF TESTING COMPANIES AND
ALL TYPES OF COMPANIES AND
AGENCIES HAVE HAD TO PAY A IT
AND MODIFY THEIR PROCESSES AS
WE GO THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND
EVERYTHING. SO THEY HAVE BEEN
VERY ACCOMMODATING AND FLEXIBLE
WITH US. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT
IT IS ONLY ONE OTHER
JURISDICTION THAT USES NTN. I
THINK IT IS A LONGER LIST.
>> THERE OUR IN WASHINGTON
APPARENTLY.
>> I THINK IT COULD BE CLOSER
TO 10 OR 11. AND I WILL FOLLOW
UP WITH BOTH OF YOU ABOUT THE
LIST. BUT SEATTLE HAS HAD A
VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH NTN.
I THINK IT IS A VERY HIGH
QUALITY PRODUCT. I WAS
APPROACHED BY THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF
AGO TO CONSIDER EITHER ADDING
OR SWITCHING TO THE OTHER MAJOR
VENDOR OF ENTRY-LEVEL POLICE
OFFICER EXAMS IN WASHINGTON.
THEY ARE A WASHINGTON COMPANY,
AS IS NTN. AND SO I AM
CONDUCTING A DUE DILIGENCE INTO
BOTH EXAMS. I HAVE NOT
CONCLUDED THAT. AND SO I REALLY
AM NOT PREPARED OR IT'S NOT
TIMELY FOR ME TO SPEAK TO THE
OUTCOME OF THE DUE DILIGENCE
TODAY BUT I WILL SHARE THAT
WITH YOU WHEN IT IS COMPLETE.
>> WE WILL DEFINITELY
FOLLOW-UP. WHEN YOU ARE
FINISHED. I APPRECIATE THAT.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> NEXT SLIDE.
>> ALL RIGHT. ON THIS SCREEN,
MANY OF SEATTLE PATIENTS LARGE
PEERS CITIES USE THE NTN EXAM
INCLUDING SAN FRANCISCO,
PORTLAND, SAN JOSE, OAKLAND,
DENVER, ORLANDO, BALTIMORE,
CLEVELAND, SACRAMENTO AND
OTHERS. THE EXAM CONFORMS TO
LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL
STANDARDS FOR TEST VALIDATION
INCLUDING THOSE ESTABLISHED BY
THE EEOC AND THE OFFICE FOR
FEDERAL CONTRACT COMPLIANCE. IT
MEETS THE AMERICAN
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
STANDARDS FOR CONTENT, CRITERIA
AND VALID TESTS AND THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR JOB RELATED
TESTING. I HAVE ALREADY
MENTIONED THAT THE EXAM
COMPONENTS ARE BASED ON THE
CORE KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND
ABILITIES TO PERFORM THE JOB OF
A POLICE OFFICER. BUT IT IS
IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THE
CANDIDATES DO NOT NEED PRIOR
EXPERIENCE OR EDUCATION AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT TO PERFORM WELL ON
THE EXAM.
>> AND NEARING THE END OF MY
PRESENTATION BUT I WANTED TO
ADDRESS A COUPLE OF THE
QUESTIONS THAT I THOUGHT YOU
MIGHT HAVE OR THAT I GET. WHY
DON'T ALL APPLICANTS SCHEDULE
A COMPLETE EXAM ? WE DO
MAINTAIN DASHBOARDS ON
CANDIDATE FLOW THROUGH THE
CIVIL SERVICE EXAM PROCESSES.
MAYBE THE QUESTION IS WHAT I
WAS ASKED EARLIER.
APPROXIMATELY 60-65% OF
APPLICANTS DO NOT MAKE IT ON TO
THE ELIGIBLE LIST MEANING THAT
THEY EITHER REMOVE THEMSELVES
FROM THE APPLICATION PROCESS OR
THEY DO NOT PASS THE EXAM .
DAVE, DAVE WRIGHT, THE MANAGER
OF THE EXAMS UNIT WILL SPEAK
ABOUT THIS NEXT. THE CANDIDATE,
FOR EVERY HIRING PROCESS,
DECREASES, AS CANDIDATES MOVE
THROUGH THE PHASES OF THE
PROCESS. WE ONLY WANT TO HIRE
WELL-QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO DO
THE VERY IMPORTANT JOB OF
POLICING. AND THE TESTING PHASE
IS THE IDEAL POINT TO SCREEN
OUT CANDIDATES WHO ARE NOT WELL
SUITED TO THE JOB OR REMOVE
THEMSELVES FROM CONSIDERATION.
OUR DATA IS CONSISTENT WITH THE
EXPENSE OF OTHER LARGE
DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE UNITED
STATES. WHEN WE LOOK BACK AT
THE LAST 10 YEARS OF DATA, WE
KNOW AND WE CAN SEE THAT
DESPITE CHANGES TO MAKE THE
EXAM MORE ACCESSIBLE ,
INCREASING THE NUMBER OF
COMMUNICATIONS TO CANADA DON'T
CANDIDATES ARE FLUCTUATING
APPLICATION NUMBERS AND OTHER
EXTERNAL FACTORS IMPACTING THE
PUBLIC'S INTEREST IN THE
POLICING PROFESSION
APPROXIMATELY ONE OF FOUR
SEATTLE APPLICANTS SCHEDULE
COMPLETE AND PASS THE CIVIL
SERVICE EXAM. MOST PEOPLE TO
COMPLETE THE EXAM TO PASS.
THOSE THAT PASS ARE HEADED OVER
TO SPD FOR ADDITIONAL PREHIRE
SCREENING AND APPROXIMATELY ONE
OUT OF 10 OF THOSE FOLKS WHO
PASS THE EXAM ARE EVENTUALLY
HIRED AS A SEATTLE POLICE
OFFICER. AS MORE PEOPLE
APPLIED TO THE SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT, WE WILL HAVE MORE
PEOPLE PASSING THE EXAM AND
GETTING HIRED AS POLICE
OFFICERS. CAN APPLICANT DATA BE
SHARED? FOLKS HAVE ASKED ABOUT
CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE DATA. TO
ENSURE A FAIR AND CONSISTENT
EXAM PROCESS, CIVIL SERVICE
PROVIDES CANDIDATE SUPPORT
BETWEEN THE APPLICATION AND
HIRING REGISTER. APPLICANT DATA
IN WASHINGTON IS PRIVATE EXCEPT
FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYERS. IT IS
EXEMPT FROM PUBLIC DISCLOSURE.
AS AN INDEPENDENT TAKES
APPLICANT PRIVACY VERY
SERIOUSLY, WE TRANSMIT
APPLICANT DATA TO SPD WHEN
CANDIDATE IS PLACED ON A HIRING
REGISTER OR WHEN A CANDIDATE
GIVES US PERMISSION TO SHARE
THE DATA WITH SPD. WE HAVE SIX
ARE OFTEN MORE CONTACTS WITH
APPLICANTS AS THEY MOVED TO THE
TESTING PROCESS AND WE
ENCOURAGE THEM AT ALL OF THOSE
PHASES TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK WITH
THE RECRUITER. OR PARTICIPATE
IN AN INTERVIEW NOW .
APPLICANTS RELY ON US TO
PROTECT THEIR PRIVACY. IT IS
THE BEST PRACTICE AND REDUCES
RISK TO THE CITY. I HAVE
ALREADY ADDRESSED THE QUESTION
OF CAN REGISTERS BE PUBLISHED
MORE FREQUENTLY? THE SHORT
ANSWER IS YES, GIVEN NECESSARY
OR APPROPRIATE RESOURCING THAT
CAN BE DONE. AND MUST NOTE THAT
THIS WILL NOT INCREASE THE
VOLUME OF APPLICANTS BUT IT
COULD SHORTEN THE HIRING
PROCESS BY 3-6 WEEKS FOR SOME
CANDIDATES WHO ARE SUCCESSFUL.
TESTING VENDOR. WE DID TALK
ABOUT THAT. AND I MENTIONED
THE IN-DEPTH DUE DILIGENCE THAT
I AM CONDUCTING. SOME OF THE
VALUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US
IN THE PROCESS OR EQUITY,
ACCESSIBILITY, VALIDITY,
COMPETENCIES ASSESSED AND IN
REGARD TO WHY DON'T MORE PEOPLE
PAST EXAM? THE GOAL OF ANY
EXAM, ANY ASSESSMENT EXAM I
SHOULD SAY, IS TO STRIKE A
BALANCE BETWEEN A SELECTIVE
HIRING PROCESS AND BEING ABLE
TO FILL VACANCIES IN AN AGENCY.
A HIGHER PASS RATE DURING THE
TESTING PHASE WILL LEAD TO MORE
CANDIDATES UPFRONT BUT MAY NOT
NET MORE CANDIDATES TOWARD THE
END OF THE PROCESS. SOME OF
THE CANDIDATES OR PERHAPS MOST
OF THE CANDIDATES WOULD BE
SCREENED OUT BY OTHER MORE
COSTLY SCREENING PROCESSES SUCH
AS PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS OR
BACKGROUNDS BACKGROUNDS. POLICE
JOBS ARE VERY DIFFICULT AND
REQUIRE A COMBINATION OF SKILL
AND ABILITIES THAT THE MAJORITY
OF PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE. THEY
HAVE A SIGNIFICANT
RESPONSIBILITY WITH
HIGH-STAKES. IF THEIR
PERFORMANCE IS POOR. SO HIRING
STANDARDS SHOULD REFLECT THE
DIRECT NATURE OF THEIR JOB.
ENTRANCE EXAMS ARE ONLY PART OF
THE ENTIRE SELECTION PROCESS.
BUT THEY ARE A GOOD MEASURE TO
SHOW HOW PEOPLE WILL PERFORM
WHEN THEY ARE ON THE JOB. AND
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'M SORRY. I HAVE SOME KEY
TAKEAWAYS WHICH I WILL JUST
LEAVE UP HERE AND I WILL TAKE
ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY
QUESTIONS? VICE CHAIR, DO YOU
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ?
>> YES, THANK YOU MR. CHAIR
AND THANK YOU FOR THIS
OVERVIEW, PRESENTATION. VERY
HELPFUL. I HAVE A COUPLE
QUESTIONS. WHERE DO I START?
OKAY. SO THE TESTING PROCESS,
YOU MENTIONED THAT IT CURRENTLY
PUBLISHED A LIST OF QUALIFIED
CANDIDATES TO SPD SEVEN TIMES A
YEAR WHICH EQUATES TO BE ABOUT
EVERY 6-8 WEEKS OR SO. CAN YOU
HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE FORMAT
OF THE TEST? IS A
MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXAM? IS IT A
SHORT ANSWER EXAM OR
COMBINATION OF BOTH? OR
WHATEVER.
>> THE EXAM CONSISTS OF BETWEEN
60-70 -- 1 PART OF THE TEST IS
60-70 VIDEO SCENARIOS THAT THE
CANDIDATE WATCHES AND ANSWERS
QUESTIONS BASED ON WHAT THEIR
REACTION WOULD BE TO THE
SCENARIO IF THEY WERE A POLICE
OFFICER IN THAT SCENARIO.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A
WRITING COMPONENT. OBSERVATION
WRITING COMPONENT. SO A COUPLE
MINUTES LONG, A SCENARIO OF A
CRIME OR JUST AN EVENT THAT YOU
MIGHT ENCOUNTER AS A SEATTLE
POLICE OFFICER OR AS A POLICE
OFFICER I SHOULD SAY AND BE
WRITE A REPORT TESTING
RECOLLECTION, WRITING SKILLS.
IT IS REALLY AN INTERESTING
EXERCISE. AND I ENCOURAGE ALL
OF YOU TO SIGN UP AND TAKE THE
POLICE OFFICER EXAM FOR
YOURSELF. THERE ARE ALSO
COMPONENTS THAT ANSWER OR THAT
POSED STATEMENTS AND YOU SAY
WHETHER YOU STRONGLY AGREE OR
MEDIUM AGREE OR DISAGREE. THAT
1-5 SCALE WITH THE STATEMENT. I
HAVE TAKEN THE EXAM SO I'M
TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT TO CALL
ALL OF THE DIFFERENT
COMPONENTS. THERE ARE
ADDITIONAL COMPREHENSION
SECTIONS. AND THE VIDEO EXAM
COMPONENT TAKES ABOUT TWO HOURS
AND THERE ARE SOME SECTIONS
SHORTER THAN THAT. AND THAT IS
THE MORE INTEGRITY GROUP
FOCUSED SECTIONS.
>> IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS ONE
SECTION WHERE THE VIDEO
SCENARIO BASED QUESTIONS THAT
ARE SHORT ANSWER AND THE REST
ARE ESSENTIALLY MULTIPLE-CHOICE
BOXES THAT FAIR TO SAY?
>> THE WRITING IS A RIDING
TEST . SO THERE ARE MULTIPLE
COMPONENTS OF THE EXAM. AND I
THINK YOU HAVE GENERALLY
DESCRIBED THEM AS I RECALL
THEM.
>> SURE .
>> SO THERE IS THIS HANDOFF
PERIOD. AND YOU DON'T MANAGE
THE ENTIRE PROCESS END TO END.
IT IS REALLY THE TESTING,
DEVELOPING AND ASSESSING THE
TESTS. AND SEEING THAT LIST AND
HANDING IT OFF. HOW WOULD YOU
RATE SEATTLE'S CURRENT
CAPABILITY AND THAT SPECIFIC
AREA RELATIVE TO OTHER
JURISDICTIONS AND I HEARD A LOT
ABOUT HOW YOU HAVE HIGH
STANDARDS WHICH IS GREAT. I
PERSONALLY HAVE HIGH STANDARDS
OF EXCELLENCE AND
PROFESSIONALISM FOR EVERYONE
AND MYSELF INCLUDED. AND I
THINK THAT IS TERRIFIC. THE
LAST THING WE NEED TO DO AS
PART OF THE OFFICES THAT WE
HAVE A CRITICAL NEED TO HIRE
MORE QUALIFIED OFFICERS BUT.
FOR THE LAST THING WE WANT TO
DO IS SACRIFICE STANDARDS IN
ANY WAY. BECAUSE ANY SMALL
INCREMENTAL GAINS THAT WE GET
OR OFFICER NUMBERS IN THE SHORT
TERM WILL BE OFFSET AND WOULD
DO MORE HARM LONGER-TERM. I
DON'T AT ALL WANT TO SACRIFICE
STANDARDS. HOW WOULD YOU
ASSESS THE CURRENT STANDARDS
HERE IN SEATTLE IN THIS
PROCESS. RELATIVE TO OTHER
JURISDICTIONS .
>> I AM ONLY THE DIRECTOR OF
THE SEATTLE PUBLIC SERVICE
COMMISSION BUT I THINK WE HAVE
THE MOST APPROPRIATE STANDARDS
FOR OUR CITY. WE HAVE HIGH
STANDARDS. I HOPE AND EXPECT
THAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS DO TOO.
I CANNOT SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO
THEM BUT I KNOW THAT, I THINK
WE HOLD OUR POTENTIAL OFFICERS,
CANDIDATES, TO A HIGH STANDARD
AND I THINK THAT WE DO AN
EXCELLENT JOB.
>> WE ARE ALSO -- AND YOU ARE
A COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE CITY SO
YOU KNOW THAT IT IS THE LARGEST
JURISDICTION IN THE STATE. SO
IT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO
COMPARE US TO OTHER
JURISDICTIONS. WE DON'T HAVE A
GOOD COMPARATOR IN THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON WHY ON OCCASIONS
WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE, WE LOOK
TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS,
ESPECIALLY ON THE WEST COAST.
AND HIGH STANDARDS AND SHOULD
CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE.
>> DO YOU HAVE A POINT OF VIEW
ON HOW WE STACK UP AGAINST PURE
JURISDICTIONS WITH OUR
STANDARDS?
>> I DON'T. I'M REALLY
FOCUSED ON SEATTLE. I DO THINK
AND I AGREE WITH, I HEARD THE
CHIEF SAY THIS COMMITTEE A FEW
YEARS AGO THAT WE ARE NOT THE
MOST COMPETITIVE JURISDICTION
RIGHT NOW FOR HIRING, FOR
REASONS OF WHICH YOU ARE ALL
AWARE, I KNOW. AND VERY
CONCERNED ABOUT. BUT PAY IS
THE RED LIGHT THAT I THINK
KEEPS MANY CANDIDATES FROM
APPLYING WITH SEATTLE.
>> SO PUBLISH EVERY 6-8 WEEKS.
WHAT DO OTHER JURISDICTIONS DO
LOCALLY? THAT IS AN INSTRUCTIVE
AND INFORMATIVE DATA POINT
REGARDLESS OF CLEARLY, IT'S NOT
GOING TO BE AN APPLES TO APPLES
COMPARISON, SEATTLE TO
BELLEVUE. WHAT CADENCE AND
FREQUENCY TO OTHER
JURISDICTIONS PUBLISH ?
>> I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION,
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA. IT IS
DIFFICULT TO COMPARE SEATTLE.
WHAT I'M LEARNING, AS ALL THE
AGENCIES IN THE STATE -- IN
THE UNITED STATES ARE
RESPONDING TO THIS POLICE
OFFICER STAFFING CRISIS AND
STILL FEELING THE IMPACT OF THE
PANDEMIC AND THE PROTESTS IN
2020. WE HAVE HAD PARTICULARLY
DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES TO THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT AS THE
RESULTS OF ALL OF THOSE EVENTS
. I AM UNDERSTANDING THAT
SMALLER JURISDICTIONS ARE ABLE
TO PROCESS FOLKS MORE QUICKLY
THEN WE ARE. THAT HAS COME TO
MY ATTENTION AND HAS BEEN
RAISED BY THE SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE AND I HEAR YOU
ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT AS
WELL WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE
PROPOSED TO INCREASE THE
TESTING TO APPROXIMATELY 26
TIMES A YEAR. GIVEN THE
ADEQUATE RESOURCING WE WOULD BE
ABLE TO DO THAT.
>> IS AT THE BEST, FOR SOME OF
THE SMALLER JURISDICTIONS? IS
THAT THE BEST YOU HAVE SEEN?
>> THAT FREQUENCY THAT YOU JUST
DESCRIBED?
>> IT IS PRETTY ANECDOTAL. I
HAVE CONTACTED A NUMBER OF
OTHER JURISDICTIONS. WHAT I
HAVE HEARD FROM FROM SPOKANE,
WHICH IS A LARGE CITY AS WELL
WHICH MAYBE IS ABOUT THE
SEVENTH OR FIFTH THE SIZE OF
SEATTLE, IS THAT THEY DO IT
ONCE A MONTH. SO THEY DO IT 12
TIMES A YEAR. A LOT OF
JURISDICTIONS DO IT BASED ON
THE DEPARTMENT PATIENTS QUEST.
SO THEY WILL BUILD UP A BANK OR
A LIST AND WHEN THE DEPARTMENT
REQUESTED, THEY ARE ABLE TO
SEND IT OVER. I HAVE HEARD
DIFFERENT THINGS. SOME PEOPLE
SAY THEY DO IT WEEKLY. I HAVE
GONE TO VERIFY WITH THE
JURISDICTIONS AND I'M FINDING
THAT IS NOT REALLY THE CASE.
THAT IT IS LESS FREQUENTLY. BUT
IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE
DEPARTMENT. SO EVERY FEW WEEKS
OR EVERY MONTH, PROBABLY MORE
QUICKLY THAN SEATTLE. AND WE
ARE PROCESSING GREATER VOLUME
OF CANDIDATES AND THEY ARE AS
WELL. AS I MENTIONED, I KNOW
WE CAN DO MORE QUICKLY. AND
HOPEFULLY, WE WILL SEE A GREAT
INCREASE IN APPLICATIONS AS
WELL.
>> OKAY. THAT MAKES SENSE. I
DO THINK THAT IT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND.
WE DON'T HAVE TO SOLVE THESE
PROBLEMS IN A SILO AND WE
DON'T NEED TO REINVENT THE
WHEEL AND THERE WILL ALWAYS BE
RESOURCING CONSTRAINTS AND
CHALLENGES. UNDERSTANDING
HIGH-LEVEL BEST PRACTICES AND
WHAT OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE
COLLABORATING. AND SHARING OUT
BEST PRACTICES. I FOUND TO BE
VERY HELPFUL. SO THE LANGUAGE
HIRING PREFERENCE, I THINK ON
SLIDE 11 THERE, IT SOUNDS LIKE
THERE IS A HIRING PREFERENCE OF
SOME SORT FOR PEOPLE OF
DIFFERENT LANGUAGE
PROFICIENCIES AND SKILLS WHICH
MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. I HEARD,
WHEN CHAIR KETTLE AND I WENT
TO THE WEST PRECINCT LAST WEEK,
AN OFFICER PULLED ME ASIDE AND
MENTIONED THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A
GREAT THING BUT THAT THERE WAS
AN OPPORTUNITY TO EITHER CREATE
OR EXPAND A SPECIFIC HIRING
BONUS FOR PEOPLE WITH THESE
DIFFERENT LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
SKILLS. SO IT IS ONE THING TO
GET THEM IN THE DOOR AND BETTER
MAKE SURE THEY ARE ABLE TO GET
INTO THE DOOR. AND IT IS
ANOTHER THING TO PAY FOR THE
SKILL AND INCENTIVIZE THEM THAT
WAY. HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT
AT ALL? WHAT IS OUR CURRENT
APPROACH TO COMPENSATING NOT
JUST GIVING PREFERENTIAL
TREATMENT BUT SPECIFICALLY
COMPENSATING FOR THAT SKILL.
>> THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION AND
I THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT
THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
WOULD BE BETTER ABLE TO SPEAK
TO THEN WE ARE. BUT I LIKE YOUR
IDEA. I WILL DEFER TO THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT ON THAT ONE,
ON PAY ISSUES.
>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR.
CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU VICE CHAIR SAKA. I
HAVE TWO HANDS RAISED RIGHT
NOW. COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
>> I WILL CUT TO THE CHASE.
YOU ARE HEARING QUESTIONS ABOUT
PROCESS AND GETTING INTO THE
MINUTIA OF THE RECRUITMENT
PRACTICES AND STEPS BECAUSE WE
ARE FRANKLY -- I GUESS THIS
COUNSEL IS EXTREMELY WORRIED
ABOUT STAFFING LEVELS AND IN
FACT, IT DOES LOOK LIKE
COMMISSIONERS ARE TOO. I KNOW
IN THE MEETING MINUTES OF
SEPTEMBER 21st, 2023, IT LOOKS
LIKE THE COMMISSIONER ASKED
THAT THE YEAR-TO-DATE
SEPARATIONS AND HIRES AND THE
NUMBER OF SWORN BUDGET
AUTHORITY POSITIONS AND CURRENT
NUMBER OF SWORN STAFFING WOULD
BE PRESENTED AT COMMISSION
MEETINGS. IT SEEMS LIKE,
INTERNALLY, YOU ARE ALSO
CONCERNED. HOWEVER, THE MINUTES
FOR THE OCTOBER 19TH MEETING DO
SHOW THAT YOU DID REPORT ON THE
YEAR-TO-DATE STAFF SEPARATIONS
AND HIRES BUT NOT THE OVERALL
STAFFING NUMBER OF DEPLOYABLE
OFFICERS SO THAT IS WHAT WE ARE
LOOKING AT. HOW MANY PEOPLE DO
WE HAVE OUT THERE RESPONDING TO
911 CALLS, ET CETERA? SO THAT
IS WHAT THE CONCERN IS COMING
FROM. AND SO WHEN WE ARE
ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT -- AND
TO FOLLOW-UP ON COUNCILMEMBER
KETTLE PATIENTS QUESTIONS ABOUT
THE TEST, THE REASON WE ARE
WONDERING ABOUT HOW MANY
JURISDICTIONS USE THIS ONE
TESTING SERVICE. IF THE
QUESTIONS CAN BE CODEVELOPED
WITH ANY SERVICE , THEN USING A
SERVICE THAT IS USED BY A LOT
OF OTHER JURISDICTIONS COULD BE
EASIER BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT
POTENTIAL APPLICANTS DON'T
HAVE TO TAKE THE TEST AGAIN. IS
LIKE YOU SIGN UP TO TAKE THE
ASSIS -- S.A.T. AND IT IS ON
RECORD AND YOU CAN HAVE IT SENT
TO A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT
COLLEGES. THAT IS JUST ONE
PART OF THE WHOLE FUNNEL THAT
YOU DESCRIBED, THAT WE ARE
INTERESTED IN SEEING AND WE ARE
DOING OUR BEST TO GET PEOPLE IN
THE DOOR, QUALIFIED,
APPROPRIATE APPLICANTS THAT
END OF GETTING HIRED. YOU
MENTIONED YOU ARE WORKING TO
IMPROVE THE REGISTRY THAT COULD
QUICKEN THE REGISTRY BY 3-6
WEEKS. AND THAT IS IMPORTANT
BECAUSE IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME,
THAT RECRUITMENT COULD BE
OFFERED A JOB BY A NEIGHBORING
JURISDICTION. IT IS ALL HANDS
ON DECK TO IMPROVE THESE
PROCESSES. I THINK THAT IS
WHERE WE'RE GOING. MY
QUESTION IS, DO YOU LOOK AT THE
BEST PRACTICES OF NEIGHBORING
JURISDICTIONS ? DO YOU LOOK AT
WHAT OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS,
THE RECRUITING PRACTICES OF
BELLEVUE OR RENTON OR AUBURN OR
OTHER, OR THE CITIES WE ARE
COMPETING WITH. DO YOU SEE WHAT
THEY ARE DOING AND TRY TO MATCH
THE EFFICIENCY OR THE PROCESSES
SO THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT FALLING
TO THE CRACKS IN OUR PROCESS TO
GO TO OTHER PLACES BECAUSE YOU
ARE RIGHT . SALARY IS A HUGE
ISSUE. AND SO IS WORKPLACE
ENVIRONMENT. WE ARE WORKING ON
THAT AT THIS COUNSEL AND AT THE
SAME TIME, JUST CUTTING THE RED
TAPE AND MAKING SURE PEOPLE
HAVE A HUMAN CONNECTION, ET
CETERA, AND THAT THEY FEEL
WANTED AT THIS POLICE
DEPARTMENT AND/OR BEINGS
SHEPHERDED THROUGH THE PROCESS
QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY. THAT
IS SOMETHING WE COULD USE TO
OUR ADVANTAGE. SO HOW DO YOU
SURVEY WHAT THE JURISDICTIONS
ARE DOING?
>> WE LOOK AT THE WEBSITES. WE
CALL THE OTHER SYSTEMS AND TALK
WITH THEM. WE LOOK NOT JUST IN
WASHINGTON BUT WE LOOK AT
JURISDICTIONS UP AND DOWN THE
WEST COAST AND EASTERN
WASHINGTON IS PART OF
WASHINGTON. WE ARE IN
CONVERSATION WITH A LOT OF
JURISDICTIONS. I SURE THE
COUNCIL'S CONCERN ABOUT
MATCHING AND DOING BETTER THAN
THE COMPETITORS. THIS IS
EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE WITH A
SMALLER POOL OF CANDIDATES THEN
WE HAVE SEEN PROBABLY MAYBE IN
MY LIFETIME. MAY BE IN 20
YEARS. I'M NOT SURE. BUT AN
EXTREMELY SMALL POOL OF
CANDIDATES. WE WANT TO MAKE AND
WE ARE ON YOUR TEAM TO MAKE
EVERY IMPROVEMENT THAT WE CAN
AND MAKE THIS NOT ONLY THE BEST
PLACE TO WORK BUT THE BEST
PLACE TO APPLY AND GO THROUGH
THAT PREHIRE PHASE SO I AGREE
WITH YOU.
>> I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT
SINCE JANUARY YOU HAVE BEEN
THINKING ABOUT THIS. BUT I
HAVE BEEN IN OFFICE FOR A
COUPLE OF YEARS AND IF THERE IS
ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO RAMP UP
THE PROCESS BETTER BECAUSE IT
SEEMS LIKE WE ARE GOING TO KEEP
FALLING BEHIND. WE ARE STILL
OPERATING AT I BELIEVE IT IS A
NET NEGATIVE HIRING
INTRODUCTORY.
>> IT IS DEFINITELY A QUESTION
OF RESOURCES. IT WOULD TAKE AN
ADDITIONAL FULL-TIME FTE TO GO
FROM SEVEN, TO 26 PER YEAR.
THERE IS ACTUALLY QUITE A BIT
OF LEGWORK. IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE
A PROCESS THAT COULD BE
AUTOMATED BUT THERE ARE A LOT
OF MATCHING PEOPLE UP FOR
APPLICATIONS AND EXAMS. WE
WOULD INCREASE THE NUMBER OF
CONTACTS TO PEOPLE IN THE
TESTING FUNNEL WITH AN
ADDITIONAL POSITION AND REALLY
ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE MOVING
SMOOTHLY AND EFFICIENTLY
THROUGH THE PROCESS.
>> THANK YOU COUNCIL
PRESIDENT. COUNCILMEMBER MOORE.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE
PRESENTATION. AND I THINK I
WILL ECHO A LOT OF THE COMMENTS
THAT COLLEAGUES HAVE MADE. I
THINK WE ARE MOVING WAY TOO
SLOWLY. WHAT I SEE HERE IS A
BUREAUCRACY THAT IS CLUNKY. AND
SO WE WENT FROM SIX MONTHS, TO
90 DAYS AND THAT IS GREAT BUT
WE NEED TO GO FASTER. THERE IS
NO REASON WE SHOULD BE WAITING
TO SEND OUT A LIST OF ELIGIBLE
CANDIDATES EVERY 6-8 WEEKS.
OTHER JURISDICTIONS, AS MY
UNDERSTANDING, THEY ARE
NOTIFIED WITHIN 24- 72 HOURS,
THAT SOMEONE IS ELIGIBLE OR HAS
PASSED THE TEST. I PERSONALLY
THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE --
I DON'T GET A SENSE OF URGENCY
FRANKLY WHEN I'M LISTENING TO
YOUR PRESENTATION AND THAT IS
NOT ACCEPTABLE . I NEED TO KNOW
WHY EXACTLY YOU NEED ONE
ADDITIONAL PERSON TO PROCESS
THESE EXAMS AND WHAT ARE THE
ACTUAL CONCRETE OBSTACLES IN
YOUR OFFICE TO SPEEDING THIS
UP?
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION
COUNCILMEMBER MOORE. THE REASON
WILL TAKE ONE ADDITIONAL
EMPLOYEE, THE WAY WE DID IT
PRIOR TO 2020 WAS IN FOUR
BATCHES PER YEAR. WHEN YOU
BATCH PROCESSES, YOU CAN DO
THEM VERY EFFICIENTLY. WE HAVE
INCREASED THAT BY ALMOST TWICE
AS MUCH. I'M HEARING YOU.
THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR AND
RECEIVED, THAT IS NOT
SUFFICIENT. WE HAVE CONTINUED
TO BATCH SEVERAL TIMES PER
YEAR. IN ORDER TO SPEED UP THE
CADENCE OF TESTING, WE HAVE TO
ON BATCH THOSE PROCESSES WHICH
WILL DECREASE EFFICIENCY ON OUR
SIDE AND HOPEFULLY AND I THINK
IT WILL INCREASE EFFICIENCY ON
THE CANDIDATE END AND THE
TRANSMISSION OF PASSING
CANDIDATE NAMES TO SPD. THAT IS
WHY. IT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF
LEGWORK AND A LOT OF PHONE
CALLS AND A LOT OF PROCESSING.
>> OKAY. THAT DOESN'T --
THAT ISN'T REALLY A
SATISFACTORY ANSWER. I THINK
THAT WE NEED TO COME BACK HERE
IN 30 DAYS AND HEAR CONCRETE
STEPS THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN
BECAUSE THIS IS JUST TOO SLOW
AND I RECOGNIZE THERE IS A
BUREAUCRATIC PROCESS, BUT WE
ARE LOSING PEOPLE. TO YOUR
POINT, IT IS A VERY COMPETITIVE
MARKET. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO
LOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE OF
BASICALLY BUREAUCRATIC
OBSTACLES AND DELAYS AND THE
PROCESS. WE NEED TO BE MORE
FLEXIBLE. WE NEED TO BE MORE
NIMBLE. WE ARE IN THE 21st
CENTURY. IF YOU NEED ONE
ADDITIONAL PERSON TO CREATE
THAT KIND OF FLEXIBILITY AND
NIMBLENESS, THEN WE NEED TO
KNOW THAT. BUT JUST ADDING
STAFF DOESN'T SATISFY FOR ME
THE FACT THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY
GOING TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AND
FASTER. AND SO I GUESS I WOULD
LIKE TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU. I
WOULD LIKE TO HEAR WHAT SORT OF
CONVERSATIONS YOU ARE HAVING
WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO
REALLY EXPEDITE THIS AND TO
REALLY WORK . YOU ARE HERE TO
SERVE THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY.
AND THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY
DESERVE TO HAVE POLICE OFFICERS
PUT ON THE STREETS AS QUICKLY
AS POSSIBLE AND THE NEED TO BE
QUALIFIED AND WE NEED TO GO
THROUGH THIS PROCESS. ALTHOUGH
THERE IS A QUESTION ABOUT
WHETHER WE NEED TO BUT
NONETHELESS, THIS IS WHERE WE
ARE. WE HAVE TO LIGHT A FIRE
UNDER OUR CIVIL SERVANTS FEET
TO SERVE THE CITY OF SEATTLE.
THANK YOU .
>> WE HAVE OUR GUEST PANELISTS
HERE. COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR. I DON'T
SIT ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMITTEE BUT AS YOU KNOW, I
REPRESENT DISTRICT FOUR. PUBLIC
SAFETY IS A HUGE CONCERN FOR
THE CONSTITUENTS IN THE D4. I
WANT TO REALLY LEND MY VOICE TO
MY COLLEAGUES. I UNDERSTAND
AND WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT THE
SALARIES AND THE ISSUES WITH
SALARIES BUT THERE IS AN
ADMINISTRATIVE COMPONENT HERE
THAT WE CAN DEFINITELY BE DOING
BETTER ON AND THAT IS THE PIECE
THAT I FEEL LIKE THE PUBLIC
DOESN'T UNDERSTAND AND WE ARE
TRYING TO GET TO THE HEART OF
IT RIGHT HERE AND WE DON'T
WANT TO LOSE OFFICERS TO OTHER
CITIES BECAUSE WE ARE NOT
WORKING FAST ENOUGH. SALARY IS
ONE PIECE BUT GETTING IT DONE
QUICKLY SO THAT FOLKS DON'T
LEAVE IS ANOTHER EQUALLY
IMPORTANT ASPECT IN MY MIND. SO
I ECHO THE SENTIMENTS AND THE
FRUSTRATION OF COUNCILMEMBER
MOORE AND COUNCILMEMBER NELSON
AND COUNCILMEMBER SAKA. I THINK
WE ARE ALL ALIGNED AND I WANTED
TO LEND MY VOICE TO THAT. I
WOULD BE INTERESTED IN COMING
BACK IN HEARING MORE ON WHAT
YOU HAVE DONE BETWEEN NOW AND
30 DAYS, TO REALLY GET TO THE
PIECE ON HOW WE CAN DO THIS
MORE QUICKLY. THANK YOU.
>> COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
>> WE RECEIVED 1048
APPLICATIONS LAST YEAR AND I
BELIEVE HIRED 56 WHICH ENDS
THAT BEING -- THESE ARE THE
NUMBERS I RECEIVED. THEY MIGHT
NOT BE ACCURATE. BUT THAT IS A
2.6 APPLICANT CONVERSION RATE.
THAT IS LESS THAN THE NATIONAL
AVERAGE OF 10%. THAT IS WHAT WE
ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE. WE CAN
DO BETTER. AND IT DOESN'T ALL
FALL ON THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT
YOU DO BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WE
DO NEED TO UNDERSTAND YOUR JOBS
SO THAT WE CAN KNOW HOW BEST TO
APPROPRIATE RESOURCES AND READY
TO WORK AS PARTNERS WITH YOU. I
WANTED TO QUANTIFY THAT THAT IS
WHAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT.
NOT -- I WILL JUST STOP
RIGHT THERE. I'M JUST TRYING
TO MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE
SOME OF OUR CONCERN LIES WHEN
IT COMES TO SPECIFICALLY THE
BOTTOM OF -- THE BODY OF WORK
YOU ARE DOING. SO I LOOK
FORWARD TO ADDITIONAL
CONVERSATIONS AND PERHAPS
CONVERSATIONS .
>> YOUR DATA IS CORRECT THAT
YOU JUST REPORTED FOR 2023 AND
THANK YOU OFFER YOUR COMMENTS.
IF THE COUNCIL, THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE OR THE SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT WANTS TO TALK WITH
THE PSCSE ABOUT CHANGING THE
HIRING STANDARDS AND TESTING
STANDARDS, THEN WE SHOULD HAVE
THAT CONVERSATION. I'M ALWAYS
LISTENING TO STAKEHOLDERS. BUT
WE SHOULD, AND WE WILL DO WORK
AND COME BACK AND SPEAK TO YOU
AGAIN ABOUT THE PROCESS. BUT
IF THE CITY IS INTERESTED IN
CHANGING THE HIRING STANDARDS
OR THE TESTING STANDARDS, WE
SHOULD HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
>> I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING
THAT THE CPC NEEDS TO WEIGH AND
ON. I DON'T HEAR ANY OF US
TALKING ABOUT STANDARDS BUT
TALK ABOUT PROCESSES,
BUREAUCRACY, ADMINISTRATION AND
SPEEDING IT UP AND THAT SORT OF
THING AND HOW WE CAN COMPETE
WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT,
FOR EXAMPLE, PAY THEIR PEOPLE
TO -- PAY FOR THE EXAM FOR
THE APPLICANT. THOSE SORTS OF
LITTLE THINGS ADD UP TO MAKING
A BIG DIFFERENCE .
>> SURE. DEFINITELY.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL
PRESIDENT. THANK YOU DIRECTOR,
COMMISSIONERS AND OTHER TEAM
MEMBERS FOR COMING . A FEW
THINGS. AS VICE CHAIR SAKA
MENTIONED, WE WERE AT THE WEST
PRECINCT LAST WEEK. AND WE HAVE
HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND
STANDARDS. SO THAT IS NOT GOING
TO CHANGE. THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE CPC IS IN HERE
BUT WE WILL CONTINUE ON THOSE.
AND SO MOVING FORWARD TO OTHER
POINTS, OBVIOUSLY THERE IS
URGENCY IN THE REVIEW AND THAT
QUESTION AND WHO IS USING WHAT
AND IF THERE IS ANY ADVANTAGE
ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. SO THAT
WILL BE THE QUESTION. OR FOR
LACK OF BETTER WORD, WHAT IS
DUE OUT. AND LACK OF
RESOURCES. THE COUNCILS READY
TO MOVE IN RESOURCES. I BELIEVE
THE PEOPLE SITTING BEHIND YOU
ARE PROBABLY READY TO MOVE IN
RESOURCES. PLEASE LOOK AT THAT.
I THINK YOU ALREADY HAVE THE
ANSWER. BUT AS PART OF THE
RESPONSE TO THE COUNCIL, PLEASE
COME TO US AND WE WILL GET YOU
WHAT YOU NEED IN TERMS OF
ASSISTING YOU AND CARRYING OUT
YOUR DUTIES AS THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE PSCSE. SO THANK
YOU FOR COMING. VERY
INFORMATIVE. VERY APPRECIATE
-- VERY APPRECIATED. AND I'M
SURE BASED ON THIS DISCUSSION,
WE WILL HAVE FOLLOW-UP MEETINGS
AS WELL. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU TO ALL THE MEMBERS
OF THE COMMITTEE, WE APPRECIATE
IT.
>> WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE
SECOND ITEM OF BUSINESS. WILL
THE CLERK PLEASE READ ITEM TWO
INTO THE RECORD?
>> SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
RECRUITMENT AND AND DISCUSSION
WITH ADRIAN DIAZ, BRIAN MAXEY
AND MIKE FIELDS, EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES,
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SARA
SMITH AND TIM BURGESS, DEPUTY
MAYOR, MAYOR'S OFFICE, ANDREA
SCHEELE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND
DAVE WRIGHT, CIVIL SERVICE
EXAM MANAGER PUBLIC SAFETY
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION.
>> WELCOME EVERYONE. WE
APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US
TODAY. WE WILL ASSIST IN
SETTING UP YOUR PRESENTATION.
>> WE ARE LOOKING AT ONES
WITHOUT ARMS.
>> SOMETHING I NOTED LAST WEEK
IN THE MEETING, THE
PRESENTATION OF THE WEST
PRECINCT, ALL THE CHAIRS HAVE
VERY WIDE VERSE. WE
UNDERSTAND WHY. THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US. I THINK THE
PRESENTATIONS ARE LINED UP.
THE NEXT GROUP IS ALREADY
PRIMED BECAUSE WE HAVE ALREADY
HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND I
SUSPECT THE SAME QUESTIONS WILL
BE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER PRESENTED
TO YOU AS WELL. SO DEPUTY MAYOR
BURGESS, ARE YOU GOING TO LEAD?
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH
COUNCILMEMBERS. WE ARE
DELIGHTED TO BE HERE TODAY AND
WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE
DISCUSSION. AND IF I MAY, I
WOULD LIKE TO ASK EACH PANEL
MEMBER TO QUICKLY INTRODUCE
THEMSELVES AND TELL US THEIR
POSITION. WE WILL START WITH
THIS GENTLEMAN.
>> ADRIAN DIAZ, CHIEF OF
POLICE.
>> SARA SMITH, MAYOR'S OFFICE,
POLICY.
>> GRETCHEN HUGHES, EMPLOYMENT
SERVICES ATTENDANT WITH THE
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
>> WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
MANAGER, DAVE WRIGHT.
>> MIKE SHANNON, SERGEANT OF
BACKGROUNDS.
>> PART OF THE RECRUITMENT
TEAM.
>> YOU HAVE MET ME. I'M
ANDREA SCHEELE WITH THE PSCSE.
>> GOOD MORNING, BRIAN MAXEY,
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, SPD.
>> THANK YOU.
>> COUNCILMEMBERS, WE ARE HERE
TODAY AT YOUR REQUEST TO GIVE
YOU AN UPDATE ON POLICE
RECRUITING AND RETENTION OF OUR
OFFICERS AND WE SHARE YOUR
DESIRE FOR URGENT ACTION.
MAYOR BRUCE HARRELL HAS BEEN
VERY CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING
OF HIS ADMINISTRATION THAT HE
WANTS A POLICE FORCE MUCH
LARGER THAN THE ONE WE HAVE
TODAY. WE WILL GIVE YOU SOME
BACKGROUND ON THE MAYOR'S
RECRUITMENT RETENTION PLAN AND
THEN WE WILL TALK ABOUT THE
HIRING PROCESS, BOTH THE
MARKETING WE ARE ENGAGED IN AND
THE ADVERTISING AND THE
RECRUITMENT AND THE
APPLICATIONS, THE BACKGROUND
AND SOME FINAL CONSIDERATIONS.
>> SLIDE THREE OF THE
PRESENTATION SHOWS WHERE WE ARE
AT TODAY . THE RED LINE AND THE
GRAPH IS THE POPULATION OF
SEATTLE WHICH IS CONTINUING TO
RISE. THE LAST TIME WE CHECKED,
WE WERE THE SECOND OR THIRD
FASTEST GROWING MAJOR CITY IN
THE UNITED STATES. AND THE BLUE
LINE IN THE GRAPH REPRESENTS
THE NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS
THAT WE HAVE TODAY THAT ARE
FULLY TRAINED , NOT ON EXTENDED
LEAVE AND FULLY DEPLOYABLE. AT
THE END OF JANUARY, 913
OFFICERS ARE FULLY DEPLOYABLE
WHICH IS THE LOWEST NUMBER
SINCE THE EARLY 1990S WHEN THE
DEPARTMENT BEGAN KEEPING THAT
STATISTIC. I THINK THE POLICE
CHIEF AND SARA AND I WILL THEN
TALK ABOUT THE NEXT COUPLE OF
SLIDES.
>> AS A DEPUTY MAYOR NOTED,
AND THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBERS
AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT THAT JUST
WALKED OUT, FOR ALLOWING US TO
PRESENT ON THIS. WE KNOW THAT
WE HAVE LOST 725 OFFICERS OVER
THE LAST FIVE YEARS. THAT IS A
HALF OF THE DEPARTMENT THAT IS
GONE. AND WE HAVE HIRED QUITE
A FEW OFFICERS AND WE ARE STILL
DOWN 375 OFFICERS WHICH STILL
MAKES A HUGE IMPACT IN THE
RESOURCES. IT ALSO MAKES A HUGE
IMPACT IN OFFICERS AND EVEN
MORALE. OFFICERS, PEOPLE COME
TO THIS DEPARTMENT BECAUSE
THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO GO
IN THE SPECIALTY UNITS. AND
MANY SPECIALTY UNITS ARE NOW
GONE. WE HAD TO HAVE THE
COMMUNITY POLICING TEAMS AND
ANTI-CRIME TEAMS AND TRAFFIC
UNITS AND A VARIETY OF
DIFFERENT UNITS WHERE PEOPLE
COULD DO POLICE WORK BUT NOT
NECESSARILY BE IN PATROL OR
HAVING OPPORTUNITIES. AND SO
THAT HAS CHANGED. BUT ALSO, WE
GET A LOT OF REQUESTS OF
IDENTIFYING WHAT PRIORITIES
ARE. WE KNOW PRIORITY IS
VIOLENT CRIME AND PUBLIC SAFETY
OVERALL. WE ALSO KNOW THERE IS
ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT. WE
KNOW THERE IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING
AND SEX TRAFFICKING THAT OCCURS
IN MANY DISTRICTS. WE ALSO
KNOW THERE IS DRUG USAGE
OCCURRING IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE
AND THE CID AND PROPERTIED
TRAFFICKING AND ALL THINGS AND
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE
DEPARTMENT IS FOCUSED ON IT AND
HAVE A MINDFUL EYE AND THE
RESOURCES ARE DIFFICULT WHEN IT
COMES TO THE STAFFING THAT WE
HAVE. AND IT ALSO COMES TO A
FULLY TRAINED OFFICER AND IT
TAKES A LONG TIME TO NOT ONLY
ON BOARD AN OFFICER BUT MAKE
THEM A VIABLE OFFICER SO WHEN
THEY BECOME FULLY DEPLOYABLE.
WE HAVE ROUGHLY ABOUT -- WE
ARE TALKING EXACT NUMBERS. WE
HAVE 50 OR 60 OFFICERS GOING
NOT ONLY TO THE ACADEMY TO THE
PHASE 2 AND PHASE 3 COMPONENTS
OF THE DEPARTMENT, BUT IT
ALMOST TAKES OVER A YEAR. SO
HAVING AN OFFICER ON BOARD
RIGHT NOW TODAY WILL REALLY NOT
BE EFFECTIVE UNTIL NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT IS REALLY SOME OF THE
DIFFERENT CHALLENGES THAT WE
HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO OVERALL
STAFFING. AND IF WE ARE
LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, HAVING AN
OFFICER NOW UNTIL NEXT YEAR AND
IN TWO YEARS, CUT AND WE WILL
NEED AS MANY OFFICERS AS WE
HAVE. SO WE ARE HAVING TO
FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE ACTUALLY
BECOME MORE NIMBLE WITH
DIFFERENT RESOURCES AND NOT
JUST POLICE OFFICERS BUT
PARKING ENFORCEMENT, CSO, CARE
DEPARTMENT AND OTHER THINGS?
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE
TO THINK ABOUT AS WE ADDRESS
THE STAFFING CHALLENGES. I
WILL TURN IT OVER TO SARA.
>> WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT
SLIDE. AND I WILL PASS IT BACK
AND THEN GO INTO IT.
>> SLIDE NUMBER FOUR TALKS
ABOUT WHAT THE MAJOR FOCUS WAS
DURING 2023. AND 2022, WHERE
WE FOCUSED ON THE PROCESS. AND
SO WE DID A VERY THOROUGH, WITH
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, REVIEW
OF THE RECRUITING PROCESS AND
MADE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES . FOR
EXAMPLE, IF YOU WHERE AN
APPLICANT AND YOU WANTED TO
TAKE THE PHYSICAL AGILITY TEST,
YOU HAD TO COME TO SEATTLE AT
YOUR EXPENSE TO TAKE THAT EXAM.
TODAY, YOU COULD TAKE THAT AT
THE NATIONAL TESTING SITES
AROUND THE COUNTRY. YOU HAD TO
COME TO SEATTLE FOR THE ORAL
BOARD AT YOUR EXPENSE. TODAY,
THAT IS OFTEN DONE ONLINE,
VIRTUALLY. A LOT OF PROCESS
IMPROVEMENTS THAT LED TO A
FASTER PROCESS OF ONBOARDING OF
INDIVIDUALS. IN THE PREVIOUS
COUNSEL , SOME OF YOU ON THE
PREVIOUS COUNSEL, PAST THE
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
BONUS. RECRUITMENT BONUSES FOR
NEW RECRUITS AT $7500.30000 FOR
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS WHO WERE
LATERAL TRANSFERS TO AS PD. AND
SO A LOT OF PROCESS
IMPROVEMENTS IN AUGUST OF LAST
YEAR. WE HIRED AN OUTSIDE
ADVERTISING AGENCY TO COME IN
AND ASSESS THE MESSAGING THAT
THE DEPARTMENT WAS USING FOR
RECRUITING. AND THEN THEY DID
A, B TESTING TO TEST VARIOUS
MESSAGES. OCTOBER ROLLED OUT
NEW ADVERTISING AND WE SAW AN
IMMEDIATE UPTICK IN
APPLICATIONS ON A DAILY BASIS
WHICH IS CONTINUING. ON SLIDE
FIVE, WE TALK ABOUT THE WORK
AND RECRUITMENT TEAM MEMBERS
CAN TALK ABOUT THIS. BUT THEIR
PRESENCE AT UNIVERSITIES AND
COLLEGES IN CAREER FAIRS AND
MILITARY BASES. ALL OF THE
OUTREACH EFFORTS THEY ENGAGE IN
TO INTEREST INDIVIDUALS AND
COAX THEM ALONG IN THE PROCESS.
SERGEANT, IF YOU WANT TO SHARE
COMMENTS ABOUT HOW THE PROCESS
WORKS OR WHOEVER IS
APPROPRIATE.
>> IF IT IS ABOUT THE
RECRUITMENT PROCESS AND THE
OUTREACH. SO WE HAVE BEEN A
RELATIVELY NEW TEAM THAT CAME
TOGETHER LAST YEAR. SINCE THEN,
WE HAVE MADE EVERY EFFORT TO
REACH OUT IN AS MANY DIFFERENT
DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND EVENTS
AND SO FORTH THAT WE COULD.
LAST MONTH IN FEBRUARY, WE WENT
TO 19 DIFFERENT EVENTS IN A
SHORT MONTH. SO WE ARE GOING TO
CAREER FAIRS AND WE ARE GOING
TO UNIVERSITIES AND WE ARE
GOING TO UPCOMING WOMEN IN
TRADES FAIR, NORTHWEST WOMEN'S
SHOW. A WIDE VARIETY AND WE
ARE OPEN TO ANY OTHER IDEAS AND
SUGGESTIONS. WE ARE A SMALL
TEAM AT THIS TIME. WE ARE GOING
OUT OF STATE AND IDENTIFYING
STATES AND COMMUNITIES THAT WE
ALWAYS HAD A HIGH DRAW FROM.
AND TRYING TO TRAVEL TO THOSE.
WE ARE MAKING EVERY EFFORT WE
CAN. INTERVIEW NOW, WHICH THEY
TALKED ABOUT BRIEFLY, HAS BEEN
ONE OF THE BIGGEST BLESSINGS
AND IMPROVEMENTS FOR US. IT IS
A TEXTBASED PLATFORM WHERE, IF
SOMEONE VISITS THE WEBSITE OR
THEY ENGAGE US IN THE COMMUNITY
OR AT AN EVENT, THEY CAN OPT IN
AND REQUEST TO SPEAK WITH A
RECRUITER. AND WITH THE TEAM,
WE HAVE ENSURED WE ARE
RESPONSIVE WITHIN 24 HOURS TO
EVERY MESSAGE WE GET. AND ON
THAT PLATFORM, IT IS MUCH MORE
BACK-AND-FORTH THAN E-MAILS
WERE BECAUSE IT IS A CONSTANT
TEXT MESSAGING. THAT IS WHAT
THE NEXT GENERATION IS ALL
ABOUT AND THAT COMMUNICATION
MIGHT TAKE PLACE OVER THE
COURSE OF DAYS OR EVEN WEEKS.
WE HAVE HAD THAT IN EFFECT
SINCE MAY 15TH OF LAST YEAR.
WE HAVE THE NUMBERS BUT WE HAVE
HAD OVER 2500 INDIVIDUALS REACH
OUT TO US JUST ON THAT PLATFORM
. ONE OF THE THINGS WE HEAR
OFTEN FROM CANDIDATES IS, I
REACHED OUT TOO DIFFERENT
AGENCIES. BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE
DO APPLY TO MULTIPLE AGENCIES
AT ONE TIME. AND YOU GUYS WERE
THE FIRST ONES THAT GOT BACK TO
ME. NOT ONLY THAT BUT WE ARE
-- WE DON'T JUST GIVE
ANSWERS AND HAVE A SCRIPT. WE
ARE VERY ENGAGED WITH SPECIFIC
QUESTIONS AND IF THEY WANT A
PHONE CALL, WE TAKE THE TIME
FOR A PHONE CALL. WE ARE ON THE
PHONE FOR 45 MINUTES. FOR THE
INTERVIEW, THAT WENT DOWN FOR
ABOUT FIVE DAYS ON US ONE TIME
AND I CRIED. IT IS SO
IMPORTANT TO BE IN THIS
COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT, TO DO
THOSE THINGS AND MAKE THE
CANDIDATE FEEL ENGAGED IN
SPECIAL.
>> SO THE PROCESS CHANGES THAT
WERE IMPLEMENTED, THE BEEFING
UP OF THE RECRUITMENT TEAM AT
AS PD, SOME OF THE COOPERATION
FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY CIVIL
SERVICE COMMISSION HAS ALLOWED
US TO TAKE WHAT WAS A 5-9 MONTH
PROCESS TO ONBOARD SOMEONE,
DOWN TO 3-4 MONTHS, WHICH IS A
HUGE IMPROVEMENT IN THE
PROCESS. AND SLIDE NUMBER SIX
KIND OF SHOWS THAT AND I WILL
TURN IT OVER TO SARA.
>> I KNOW ON THE PREVIOUS
PRESENTATION, WE WALKED THROUGH
THIS. I'M SORRY TO BE
REDUNDANT. WE WILL GO THROUGH
IT AGAIN. THE WHOLE HIRING
PROCESS TO THE CHIEF'S POINT
DOES TAKE QUITE A LONG TIME.
YOU MAY APPLY NOW BUT YOU
WON'T ACTUALLY BE ON PATROL
FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. SO THIS
ABOVE SLIDE IS SHOWING KIND OF
THE STEPS. AND ALSO WHO OWNS
THE WORK. AS YOU CAN SEE AT
THIS VERY LARGE TABLE, THERE IS
A LOT OF NUANCE AND WHO WAS
PARTICIPATING. WE HAVE THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE AND AS PD AND
PUBLIC SAFETY CIVIL SERVICE, HR
ALL COMING TOGETHER TO WORK ON
THIS. AND SO FIRST I WILL TALK
ABOUT THE RULES. OVERALL, WE
FIRST THINK ABOUT RECRUITING
WHICH IS THE MARKETING AND
GOING TO IN PERSON EVENTS. THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE AS PART OF THAT
AND AS PD RECRUITMENT AS PART
OF THAT. WE ARE BOTH DOING THE
MARKETING VIRTUALLY AN ONLINE
AND IN PERSON. MOVING PEOPLE
TO APPLY. WHEN PEOPLE APPLY,
THEY GO INTO THE PUBLIC SAFETY
CIVIL SERVICE REALM AND THOSE
OF THE GREEN BOXES ON THE
TIMELINE. THAT IS THE PUBLIC
SAFETY FOLKS THAT ARE TAKING
THE APPLICATION AND CHECKING
PEOPLE'S QUALIFICATIONS TO
MAKE SURE THEY MEET THE
MINIMUM. GOING TO THE
EXAMINATION AND REVIEWING THE
EXAMINATION AND BUILDING THE
REGISTER. AS WE HEARD EARLIER,
THAT CAN TAKE 6-8 WEEKS. IT
THEN GOES BACK TO AS PD. YOU
AS PD IS THE BLUE BOX. THAT IS
WHERE WE HAVE THE BACKGROUND.
SO BACKGROUNDING AND THE PSYCH
EVAL. WE GO THROUGH THAT WHOLE
PROCESS. THEN WE HIRE SOMEONE
AND THEY COME IN. SO THAT IS
THE GENERAL TIMELINE OF FOLKS
AND WHO IS WORKING IN THE
DIFFERENT SPACES. AS THE DEPUTY
MAYOR MENTIONED, THE FIRST PART
OF LAST YEAR WAS REALLY FOCUSED
ON GETTING THIS WHOLE HIRING
PROCESS DOWN TO 3-4 MONTHS. WE
STILL THINK THAT COULD BE
SHORTER BUT THAT IN ITSELF IS
SIGNIFICANT FOR A DECREASE IN
TIME. THE REST OF THE SLIDE
DECK WILL FOLLOW THE HIRING
PROCESS. WE WILL KIND OF
PIGGYBACK TO THE DIFFERENT
FOLKS LEADING. WE WILL START
WITH MARKETING. SO JUST AT A
HIGH LEVEL, JUST UNDERSTAND
WHAT THIS IS SAYING IS OUR
MEDIA STRATEGY WITH OUR
MARKETING FIRM HAS TWO MAIN
COMPONENTS. ONE IS THE
AWARENESS WHICH IS THE BOTTOM
HALF IN BLUE. THAT IS REALLY
ABOUT CHANGING THE BRAND OF AS
PD AND GETTING IT OUT THERE
BROADLY AND WIDELY. WE ARE
PUTTING VIDEOS ONLINE THROUGH
BROADCAST TV. WE HAVE SPORTS
INCLUDING HUSKIES GAMES AND
MARINERS LAST YEAR. WE HAVE
BEEN IN PRINT. WE WILL BE IN
TRANSIT SOON AND WE ARE GOING
TO BE DOING NEW BRANDING
CAMPAIGNS WHERE WE ARE TELLING
THE STORY DIFFERENTLY. THE
VIDEO IS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO
BE AN SPD OFFICER AND
HIGHLIGHTING THE GREAT WORK
THAT THE OFFICERS ARE CURRENTLY
DOING USING REAL STORIES. WE
WANT TO SHARE THAT SO PEOPLE
REALLY KNOW. THEY HAVE THE
AWARENESS SIDE AND THE TRUE
MARKETING KNOW-HOW WHICH IS THE
CONVERSION, WHICH IS WHERE WE
ARE REALLY GETTING PEOPLE TO
ACTUALLY CLICK TO APPLY. THAT
IS CONSISTENTLY HAPPENING
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE HAVE
SPONSORED GOOGLE ADS. SO OUR
INFORMATION IS BEING PUSHED
FRONT AND CENTER. WE ARE ON ALL
THE DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORMS. WE ARE ON DIGITAL
DISPLAY. YOU ARE SEEING US ON
WEBSITES THAT ALLOW FOR
ADVERTISING AND SEEING US OVER
THE TOP VIDEO WHICH MEANS
STREAMING PLATFORMS LIKE ESPN
PLUS AND HULU. ALL OF THOSE ARE
THE PLACES WE ARE PUSHING
PEOPLE TO CLICK AND APPLY TO GO
TO THE TWO STRATEGIES. AND
HERE'S KIND OF WHAT WE HAVE
SEEN. SO THE DEPUTY MAYOR'S
FIRST POINT ON JUST WHEN WE
BROUGHT (INDISCERNIBLE) IN,
THEY CAME IN MID-AUGUST. SO
CHECKING OUT THE CREATIVE AND
SEEING WHAT WORKS BEST AND WHAT
MESSAGING SPEAKS TO PEOPLE TO
CONVERT AND THEN I STARTED
AMPLIFYING THAT. THEY TESTED
AND AMPLIFIED. SINCE THE TIME
THEY PUSHED OUT MORE SPENDING
AND HAVE MOVED ON TO THE
MESSAGING, WE HAVE SEEN A
DRAMATIC INCREASE IN
APPLICATIONS COMING IN AND THE
HOPE IS TO CONTINUE THAT SO WE
CONTINUE TO SEE A DRAMATIC
INCREASE. THAT IS THE BLUE LINE
WHERE YOU SEE THE ENTRY-LEVEL
NEW RECRUITS APPLYING. THE
BOTTOM IS THE LATERALS WHICH
HAVE BEEN FAIRLY CONSISTENT.
THESE ARE FOLKS COMING FROM
OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AREAS.
AND HERE ARE EXAMPLES OF
DIFFERENT VIDEOS WE HAVE,
DISPLAYS, WEBSITES, SOCIAL
MEDIA CLIPS THAT YOU CAN VIEW
LATER. THAT IS THE OUTREACH
SITE. NOW I WILL PASS IT TO THE
RECRUITMENT TEAM TO TALK EVEN
MORE IN DEPTH ABOUT WHAT WE ARE
DOING FOR RECRUITMENT.
>> THANK YOU. SOME OF THE
NOTES HERE, OBVIOUSLY THE TOP
IS THE DIFFERENT EVENT WE ARE
GOING TO. AND WE ARE TRYING TO
MAKE END ROADS WITH DIFFERENT
COLLEGES AND EARLIER LAST YEAR
I SAT DOWN ON A PANEL OF WOMEN
IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AT CENTRAL
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY. THERE
ARE SOME GOOD STRONG CRIMINAL
JUSTICE PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE
STATE. MAKING OUTREACH THEY
ARE. HAVE SOME UNIQUE THINGS
IN SEATTLE THAT OTHER AGENCIES
DON'T HAVE. WE ARE THE ONLY
EMBEDDED EMT PROGRAM . SO WE
ARE MAKING OUTREACH TO
DIFFERENT EMT PROGRAMS IN THE
AREA AS WELL TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.
MOST INSTRUCTORS ARE NOT EVEN
AWARE THAT WE HAVE THAT SO THAT
IS A BIG THING. INTERVIEW NOW,
AS I MENTIONED, THOSE ARE THE
STATS FOR 2023. WE HAVE ALREADY
HIT 2500 TODAY. FEBRUARY FOR
SOME REASON, WE HAD A HUGE
UPTICK IN PEOPLE REACHING OUT
TO US WHICH WAS GREAT. WE ARE
ALSO HOSTING VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS
IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TESTING
TEAM AND WE DO THOSE TWICE A
MONTH. WE HOST ONE IN THE
EVENING DURING THE WEEK AND ONE
ON THE WEEKEND AND THAT COVERS
EVERYTHING FROM THE BEGINNING
OF THE APPLICATION TO THE VERY
END. SO THAT IS A WAY THAT WE
GET APPLICANTS THAT WE CAN WALK
THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS AND
REACH OUT. AND THIS WEEKEND, WE
DID THE FIRST COME NOT SO MUCH
OF AN IN PERSON WORKSHOP BUT AN
IN-PERSON OPPORTUNITY TO HELP
SOME PEOPLE WHO HAD NOT
INITIALLY PASSED THE PHYSICAL
AGILITY TEST BUT WE GIVE THOSE
PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE
IT MULTIPLE TIMES SO THAT THEY
CAN GET THROUGH IT RATHER THAN
EARLIER . THEY MIGHT HAVE JUST
BEEN DISQUALIFIED IN THE
PROCESS BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T
ABLE TO PASS IT THE FIRST TIME.
WE ARE DOING -- THAT IS THE
PART THERE, THE PHYSICAL
AGILITY. WE HAD FOUR PEOPLE
PASS IT JUST ON SATURDAY. IT IS
A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK
WITH IT. AND WE DO , PART OF MY
ROLE HAS BEEN TO LOOK AT OTHER
AGENCIES AND HOW THEY ARE DOING
THEIR TESTING. I OBVIOUSLY
DON'T GET TO IMPACT THE CIVIL
SERVICE COMMISSION'S
DECISIONS. BUT I HAVE WRITTEN
SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM
THE EVALUATION OF THE OTHER
AGENCIES.
>> GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU
FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT
TODAY. I AM DAVE WRIGHT AND I
WORK IN SEATTLE HUMAN
RESOURCES. WE ARE AN
OPERATIONS UNIT THAT WORKS
UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE
PSCSE. AS DIRECTOR ANDREA
SCHEELE MENTION, EARLIER THE
CITY USES THE FRONTLINE EXAM
FOR ENTRY POLICE CIVIL SERVICE
EXAM. TO ANSWER SOME OF THE
QUESTIONS EARLIER, I WANT TO
THANK MY COLLEAGUE ADLAI TO
LOOK THIS UP. CURRENTLY 21
WASHINGTON STATE AGENCIES USE
THE NATIONAL TESTING FRONTLINE
EXAM. AND SIX OF SEVEN OF THE
WEST COAST SEVEN USE THE WIND
TO EXAM. IN ADDITION, DENVER,
MINNEAPOLIS, CLEVELAND AND
BALTIMORE ARE ON THE LIST. AND
I CAN BRINGING ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION IF NEEDED. THANK
YOU, ADELAIDE. SINCE DIRECTOR
NAY FOR COVER THE HIGH LEVEL
DETAILS IN HER PRESENTATION, I
WILL FOCUS ON THE RECENT
PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS AND
HIGH-LEVEL DATA FOR BEFORE I
PRESENT THE SLIDE, I WANT TO
THANK THE ANALYSTS, AMY JOE
CHAMBERLAIN AND (INDISCERNIBLE)
DIRKS THAT WORK TIRELESSLY .
I'M TRULY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR
DEDICATION TO THE COMMUNITY AND
PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES. IT IS
AMAZING WHAT THEY DO EVERY DAY.
MANY OF THE ITEMS I WILL
DISCUSS TODAY ARE THE DIRECT
RESULT OF HARD WORK. WITH THAT,
I WILL WALK THROUGH THE RECENT
PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS LISTED ON
THE SLIDE. FIRST, WE HAVE
REDUCED MULTIPLE BARRIERS TO
TESTING. HISTORICALLY,
CANDIDATES COULD TEST FOUR
TIMES A YEAR AND NEED TO TRAVEL
TO SEATTLE TO TEST. NOW
CANDIDATES CAN TEST ALMOST ANY
DAY OF THE YEAR AND CAN DO SO
ANYWHERE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO A
COMPUTER AND THE INTERNET.
THIS IS IN ADDITION TO
CANDIDATES STILL BEING ABLE TO
PUT HIS FATE AND IN-PERSON
TESTING TESTING CENTERS ACROSS
THE UNITED STATES. THE PSCSE
HAS RECENTLY SHORTENED THE
RETEST WINTER FROM SIX MONTHS,
TO THREE MONTHS FOR CANDIDATES.
SECOND, WE MADE SIGNIFICANT
UPDATES TO THE JOB BULLETINS
AND WEBSITES INCREASING
CONTENT, CLARITY AND
ACCESSIBILITY. THIRD, BY
OFFERING MORE CONTINUOUS
TESTING, WE ARE SENDING LIST OF
ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES TO A SPEEDY
ALMOST TWICE AS OFTEN AS WE
HAVE IN LAST YEARS. WE USED TO
SEND THE LIST EVERY 12 WEEKS
AND WE ARE NOW DOING SO EVERY
SIX LIKE EIGHT WEEKS. IN TERMS
OF CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE, MANY
CANDIDATES APPLY TOWARD THE
MIDDLE TO END OF THE CYCLE SO
THEIR EXPERIENCE IN THE TESTING
SITE MIGHT BE SHORTER THAN SIX
LIKE EIGHT WEEKS.
>> FOURTH, WE INCREASED
COMMUNICATIONS ABOUT APPLICANTS
INCLUDING THE ADDITION OF TEXT
MESSAGES AND APPROVED E-MAIL
MESSAGES FROM CHIEF DIAZ. ON
THIS BULLET, IT IS IMPORTANT TO
NOTE THAT MANY OF THE MESSAGES
ENCOURAGE CANDIDATES TO REACH
OUT TO RECRUITERS VIA THE
INTERVIEW NOW PLATFORM MENTION
WHICH IS FANTASTIC. IT
ENCOURAGES CANDIDATES TO ATTEND
POLICE APPLICANT WORKSHOPS AND
THEY PROVIDE E-MAIL AND PHONE
NUMBER AND CONTACT INFORMATION
SHOULD THEY HAVE QUESTIONS
REGARDING THE EXAM PHASE.
FIFTH, WE CREATED NEW
INCOMPREHENSIBLE DASHBOARDS
THAT MONITOR SHORT AND
LONG-TERM DATA RELATED TO
ENTRY, CIVIL SERVICE POLICE
EXAMS AND THE DASHBOARDS ARE
SHARED WITH ALL THE COLLEAGUES
AT THE TABLE. SIX, WE HAVE
COCREATED THE POLICE APPLICANT
WORKSHOPS AND WE PRESENT THAT
INFORMATION WITH SPD ABOUT
TWICE A MONTH. AND FINALLY, WE
RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED A
COMMUNITY PREFERENCE POINT
PROGRAM AS PART OF THE POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY ORDINANCE THAT
ADDS 10% TO A CANDIDATE'S
PASSING SCORE IF THEY HAD
VERIFIED EXPERIENCE PROVIDING
DIRECT, SOCIAL OR COMMUNITY
SERVICES WHEN LOOKING AT THE
FUNNEL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE
SLIDE, WE HAD 1948 CANDIDATES
APPLY TO BE A POLICE OFFICER IN
2023 WITH APPROXIMATELY 34% OF
THE CANDIDATES SCHEDULING AND
SITTING FOR AN EXAM. I KNOW
DIRECTOR ANDREA SCHEELE
MENTIONED THIS IN HER
PRESENTATION. I WANT TO LET THE
COUNCIL KNOW THAT WE ARE
CONTINUING TO LOOK AT WAYS THAT
WE CAN BETTER SUPPORT
APPLICANTS AND WE ARE CURRENTLY
SERVING THIS GROUP TO BETTER
UNDERSTAND WHY THEY APPLIED FOR
THIS ROLE OR WHY THEY DID NOT
SCHEDULE OR SIT FOR THE EXAM.
>> THANK YOU. BY THE WAY,
YOU MENTIONED YOUR ANSWER TO
THE NTN QUESTION. ANY QUESTION
THAT CAME UP IN A PREVIOUS
BRIEFING, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING
TO ADD, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR COMMENT ON NTN OR IF THERE
IS ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT,
PLEASE GO AHEAD AND HIGHLIGHT.
>> THIS IS WHAT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT. IT IS THINKING ABOUT
THE EXAM IN THE PROCESS. 100%
OF PEOPLE COME IN AND YOU HAVE
100 PEOPLE APPLY. 25 ACTUALLY
MAKE IT TO A SPEEDY AND THE. I
THINK THAT IS AN IMPORTANT
POINT TO POINT OUT.
>> THANK YOU. SO THE NEXT SLIDE
MOVES US TO DATA AND THAT WILL
GIVE YOU A HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT STATE
AND HOW IT RELATES TO SOME
HISTORICAL DATA THAT I WILL
SHARE. I WILL TAKE A FEW
MINUTES TO WALK THROUGH EACH
SECTION OF THE SLIDE. THE LEFT
PART OF THE SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS
APPLICANT DEMOGRAPHICS IN 2023
COMPARED TO CITY OF SEATTLE
DEMOGRAPHICS. THE FIRST
SECTION OF THE CHART FOCUSES ON
RACE AND THE APPLICANT POOL IS
INCREDIBLY DIVERSE WITH
APPROXIMATELY 60% OF THE 2023
POLICE APPLICANTS IDENTIFYING
AS BIPOC UP FROM 35% OF
APPLICANTS IDENTIFYING AS THAT
IN 2013. THE SECOND SECTION
FOCUSES ON GENDER AND THIS
NUMBER HAS REMAINED RELATIVELY
FLAT OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
IN 2023, 13.6% OF POLICE
APPLICANTS IDENTIFIED AS
FEMALE. IN 2013, THE NUMBER WAS
14%. THE LAST SECTION OF THE
SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS NUMBER
CANDIDATES THAT RESIDE IN STATE
VERSUS OUT OF STATE. IN 2023,
68% OF APPLICANTS WERE FROM
WASHINGTON STATE. NUMBER HAS
HOVERED BETWEEN 62-68% SINCE
2018. MOVING TO THE RIGHT SIDE
OF THE SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE THE
PASS RATE FOR CANDIDATES WHO
COMPLETE THE EXAM IS AROUND 73%
I BELIEVE THIS WAS A QUESTION
EARLIER. AND THIS IS A SLIGHT
INCREASE OVER THE TEN-YEAR
AVERAGE OF 68%. THE NEXT TWO
BOXES WITH THE GREEN TEXT
HIGHLIGHT APPLICANTS PER DAY IN
THE CURRENT EXAM CYCLE AND THE
YEAR TO DATE APPLICANT AVERAGE
PER DAY WAS IN THE SECOND CYCLE
OF THE YEAR. WE HAVE SEEN A
RECENT UPTICK IN APPLICANTS IN
THE CURRENT CYCLE WHICH IS
CYCLE TWO AT 2024 COMPARED TO
THE LAST CYCLE INCREASING FROM
6.81 APPLICANTS PER DAY TO 9.35
APPLICANTS A DAY. AND THE DATA
WAS LAST WEEK. LASTLY,
INFORMATION ABOUT THE APPLICANT
ELIGIBILITY RATIO MENTIONED IN
THE BOTTOM TWO BOXES. THIS IS A
PERCENTAGE OF ALL APPLICANTS
WHO IN EACH CYCLE SCHEDULE,
COMPLETE AND PASS THE CIVIL
SERVICE EXAM. WHAT YOU CAN SEE
IS THAT THE 4-1 APPLICANT RATIO
HAS REMAINED RELATIVELY
CONSISTENT 2023 COMPARED TO THE
10 YEARS OF DATA. AS DIRECTOR
ANDREA SCHEELE MENTIONED, THE
NUMBERS MOST IMPACTED BY THE
CANDIDATES THAT APPLY BUT
DON'T SCHEDULE OR SIT FOR THE
EXAM. ONE IMPORTANT NOTE AROUND
THIS 4-1 APPLICANT ELIGIBLE
RATIO IS THAT IT HAS REMAINED
CONSISTENT DESPITE THE EBBING
AND FLOWING OF APPLICANT
NUMBERS THROUGH ALL THE
INCREASED ACCESSIBILITY,
CHANGES WE HAVE MADE TO THE
EXAM AND THROUGH OTHER EXTERNAL
FACTORS THAT MIGHT INFLUENCE
CANDIDATE INTEREST IN THE
PROFESSION OF POLICING. I WANT
TO ADD THAT OUR TEAM CLOSELY
MONITORS THE DEMOGRAPHICS
DURING EVERY STAGE OF THE EXAM
PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THERE IS
NOTICE FROM A TREE IMPACT OR
ANY POTENTIAL BARRIERS TO ANY
SPECIFIC CANDIDATE GROUP. THIS
CONCLUDES OUR UPDATE ON THE
PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE
CIVIL SERVICE EXAM AND PASS THE
PRESENTATION OVER TO MY
COLLEAGUE FOR THE SCREENING
PROCESS. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR
YOUR TIME.
>> BEFORE THE SERGEANT STARTS,
I WANT TO COMMENT ON THE LEFT
SIDE HERE THE DEMOGRAPHICS. I
THINK THE FACT THAT WE ARE
SEEING APPROXIMATELY 60% OF THE
APPLICANTS AS PEOPLE OF COLOR
IS BECAUSE OF TWO REASONS.
ONE, THE MESSAGING IS REACHING
THEM AND THEY ARE APPLYING. BUT
PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY
ARE INDICATING THAT THEY WOULD
BE PROUD TO BECOME SEATTLE
POLICE OFFICERS. THEY LOOK AT
THE DEPARTMENT WHERE THEY
POTENTIALLY ARE GOING TO SERVE
AND THEY ARE SAYING, YES, I
WANT TO BE PART OF THAT
DEPARTMENT. AND I KNOW THAT THE
MAYOR IS GRATEFUL FOR THE FACT
THAT CHIEF DIAZ AND HIS TEAM
AND ALL THE OFFICERS WORKING ON
THE STREET ARE COMMUNICATING A
MESSAGE THEIR ACTIONS AND
BEHAVIOR THAT IS ATTRACTING
PEOPLE OF COLOR TO JOIN THEM
AND THAT IS A GOOD, POSITIVE
OUTCOME THAT WE CAN REALIZE
HERE.
>> SORRY, SERGEANT BUT I
WANTED TO SHARE THAT.
>> IN NOVEMBER 2022, WE
TRANSITIONED OVER TO A DIGITAL
BACKGROUND PLATFORM. WE WENT
FROM A PAPER SYSTEM THAT WAS AS
THICK IS A BIBLE AS A DIGITAL
SYSTEM WHICH SPED US UP AND
MADE US MORE EFFICIENT. A DROP
THE PROCESS ALMOST IN HALF
IMMEDIATELY. AFTER THAT, WE
TRANSITIONED TO MORE VIRTUAL
BECAUSE WE HAD 30% OF THE
APPLICANTS COMING FROM OUT OF
STATE AND IT WAS A BIG BURDEN
ON THEM TO HAVE TO FLY HERE.
BEFORE WE WERE DOING THE
WRITTEN AND PHYSICAL TESTING IN
PERSON WITH NTN TAKING OVER THE
DIGITAL TESTING AND THE
OUT-OF-STATE APPLICANTS CAN
VIRTUALLY TEST ON THE PAT AND
WE OFFER THE IN PERSON TESTING
IN SEATTLE AND THE RECRUITMENT
TEAM IS ALSO FOLLOWING UP WITH
ANY OF THOSE THAT DO NOT PASS
THE FIRST TIME AND WE PUT THEM
IN THE RECYCLING PROGRAM
BASICALLY TO GET THEM INTO THE
NEXT TESTING CYCLE. ONE OF THE
OTHER THAT WE SAW IN 2022 IS OR
IS NOT ENOUGH CARDIOLOGISTS IN
WASHINGTON OR IN THE NATION
RIGHT NOW AND WE HAVE TO DO A
STRESS TEST. YOU GET ON THE
TREADMILL AND VERIFY EKG. ON
THAT ONE, WE WERE NOT GETTING
RESPONSES FOR 3-4 WEEKS. SO WE
BROUGHT ON KAISER AS WELL AS A
SECOND VENDOR TO GET THE
CANDIDATES THROUGH AND AGAIN,
WE MOVED OVER FOR VIRTUAL ON
EVERYTHING FROM THE ORAL BOARDS
TO THE IN PERSON INTERVIEWS.
IF THEY ARE NOT LOCAL OR
ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS WITH
BACKGROUNDERS OR WITH ALMOST
ALL THE RECORDS CHECKS AND
EVERYTHING DIGITAL.
>> THAT TAKES IT TO ME.
COUNSEL, YOU SAID THAT WE MIGHT
BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO A
QUESTION THAT YOU ASKED
EARLIER. BEFORE I GO ON TO
PAY, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY
WHERE THE TESTING TEAM GOT IT
BUT WHEN WE HAD THE RESEARCH
DONE A MONTH AGO, THERE WERE
ONLY FIVE AGENCIES THAT
EXCLUSIVELY USED NTN AND THOSE
WERE SEATTLE, EATONVILLE, NAPA
VINE, MONROE AND CHEHALIS. AND
I DON'T THINK THAT SEATTLE
BELONGS IN THAT CATEGORY WITH
THOSE AGENCIES. SO I KNOW THERE
ARE OTHER AGENCIES IN THE STATE
THAT USE BOTH PST AND NTN. AS A
RECRUITER, THAT IS ONE OF THE
QUESTIONS THAT OFTEN COME UP
WHEN I'M ENGAGING APPLICANTS.
WE HAVE MANY APPLICANTS THAT
HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THE PST TEST
US AND THEY ARE INTERESTED IN
WORKING FOR SEATTLE AND THEY
WILL CALL AND SAY, I COULDN'T
FIND SEATTLE ON THE PST LIST
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT MY
SCORES AND THAT IS ON WE
EXPLAIN THE PROCESS OF USING A
WHOLE DIFFERENT EXAM CYCLE. AND
SO THAT IS AT LEAST THE
RESEARCH WE HAVE FOUND IN OUR
RESEARCH. BACK TO THE SALARY
--
>> I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
TO COMPLETE THE MAKES THE POINT
THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER
BROADENING OR CHANGING THE
VENDOR.
>> I AGREE.
>> I HAVE ALREADY HEARD OFTEN
ABOUT THE PAY. IS ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT, WHEN WE GO OUT OF
STATE, PART OF THE REASON WE
PREVIOUSLY HAVE GONE
OUT-OF-STATE IS BECAUSE THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST PAYS SO WELL
IN POLICING AND SO WE COULD
REALLY COMPETE WHEN YOU GO TO
SOMEWHERE LIKE FLORIDA OR
ARIZONA AND TALK ABOUT THAT. WE
ARE FINDING AND SOME OF THE
MORE RECENT RECRUITMENT THAT
WE HAVE GONE TO, THAT OBVIOUSLY
WE HAVE FALLEN BEHIND IN THAT
REGARD AND EVEN WHEN WE ARE OUT
OF STATE. I KNOW THAT COUNSEL
IS WORKING ON THAT AND I KNOW
THE CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS ARE
EXISTING. WITH THE LAST FEW
YEARS AND THE INFLATION, I
THINK THE DISPARITY HAS REALLY
GROWN AND THE 83,000 MARK IS
WHAT THEY MAKE AFTER GRADUATION
FROM THE ACADEMY. THEY
ACTUALLY MAKE LESS THAN THAT
PRIOR TO THAT. SO APPLICANTS
CAN SEE THAT AND ARE MAKING
DECISIONS ACCORDINGLY. WE HAVE
TWO COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICERS
THAT WORK IN THE CITY THAT
WOULD LIKE TO APPLY TO THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT. BUT THEY
SAID THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE PAY
CUT RIGHT NOW. SO THAT HURTS.
>> NEXT SLIDE.
>> ONE OTHER NOTE I WOULD ADD
TO THIS IS THAT I THINK IT IS
IMPORTANT TO MENTION THIS. WE
RELEASED OUR INCENTIVE
EVALUATION REPORT LAST WEEK AND
THAT IS ALL THE COUNCILMEMBER'
S E-MAILS SO YOU CAN REVIEW THE
WORK OF THE PERFORMANCE TEAM
DID. I WILL NOTE THAT AS YOU
CAN SEE ACROSS THE WASHINGTON
STATE, LOCAL AGENCIES, FOLKS
ARE RECEIVING INCENTIVES. THIS
IS A COMMON PRACTICE ACROSS
WASHINGTON STATE AND OTHER
STATES AS WELL. I WOULD ALSO
NOTE THAT IN 2022, SEATTLE
POLICE OFFICERS WERE MAKING THE
SAME AMOUNT THEY ARE MAKING IN
THE CURRENT YEAR, JUST AS AN
ADDITIONAL NOTE.
>> YES. AND ON THAT, I HAVE
BEEN INVOLVED IN POLICE
RECRUITING AND HIRING FOR MANY
YEARS AND IN THE LAST 3-5
YEARS, I HAVE SEEN MORE CHANGES
IN THE DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER
PROCESSES. AS WELL AS THEIR
INCENTIVES. IN ORDER TO BE
COMPETITIVE WITH EVERYONE ELSE.
YOU HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS
AGENCIES. I'M NOT PART OF THE
CONTRACT NEGOTIATION AND I'M
NOT A POLICE OFFICER SO I
DON'T BENEFIT FROM ANY OF THIS
BUT THE TAKE-HOME CARS AND THE
PORT OF SEATTLE REDMOND PD NOW
HAVE MEDICAL AFTER RETIREMENT.
AND THEY ARE REALLY GETTING
CREATIVE WITH INCENTIVES IN A
WAY THAT I HAVE NEVER SEEN IN
MY 30 YEARS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I THINK THAT JUST HIGHLIGHTS
THE ENVIRONMENT WE ARE IN AND
THE COMPETITION FOR GOOD
CANDIDATES. I'M SORRY. I'M
READING UPSIDE DOWN. THEY DID A
SURVEY OF THE NEW HIRES LAST
YEAR AND IT'S NOT SURPRISING
THAT SALARY WAS THE MOST
IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE
APPLICANT'S DECISION TO BECOME
A POLICE OFFICER. IT IS A
BUYERS MARKET RIGHT NOW FOR
GOOD APPLICANTS, FOR GOOD
QUALITY APPLICANTS. THEY ARE
DOING MORE DUE DILIGENCE NOW
THEN I THINK THEY HAVE IN YEARS
PAST. SO THEY CAN REALLY
COMPARE. WE ARE OFTEN GETTING
QUESTIONS OF, DO YOU PAY FOR
TUITION REIMBURSEMENT? DO YOU
HAVE INCENTIVES FOR BILINGUAL
SPEAKERS? DO YOU HAVE THE
TAKE-HOME CARS. THAT KIND OF
STIFF MATTERS TO THE APPLICANTS
NOW WHO CAN PICK AND CHOOSE.
WHO CAN GET PICKY ABOUT WHERE
THEY WORK.
>> DO WE?
>> NO.
>> WHAT YOU ARE HIGHLIGHTING
IS THAT RETENTION BECOMES PART
OF RECRUITING.
>> YES. YEAH. AND I RETIRED
FROM BELLEVUE PD LAST YEAR AND
I WOULD HAVE SWORN IN MY
LIFETIME, THAT THEY WOULD NEVER
GET TAKE-HOME CARS AND THEY GOT
TAKE-HOME CARS SIX MONTHS AGO.
SO IT SHOWS HOW DRAMATICALLY
THE LAST 2-3 YEARS HAVE BEEN IN
CHANGES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND
HIRING.
>> I JUST CAME BACK FROM A
NATIONAL POLICE CONVENTION
ABOUT RETENTION AND THEY WERE
SAYING THAT THEY ARE HAVING THE
SAME DIFFICULTIES AND LOSING
THE VAST MAJORITY SO RETENTION
IS A BIGGER ISSUE THAN
RECRUITMENT RIGHT NOW FOR MOST
AGENCIES.
>> I ATTENDED WITH CHIEF DIAZ,
THE CONFERENCE ON RECRUITMENT
AND RETENTION IN WASHINGTON
D.C. ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AND
EVERY AGENCY THERE IS FACING
THE SAME CHALLENGE AND IT WAS
REALLY HIGHLIGHTED THAT
AGENCIES HAD TO BASICALLY GO
BIG OR GO HOME IF THEY WANTED
TO COMPETE OUT THERE IN THE
MARKETPLACE FOR THE BEST
QUALITY CANDIDATES.
>> DO ANY JURISDICTIONS OFFER
SUBSIDIZED HOUSING?
>> YES. LA TALKED ABOUT AT THE
CONFERENCE WE WERE AT. LA HAS A
TWO-YEAR PILOT PROJECT. I KNOW
THERE ARE MANY OTHER AGENCIES.
LA HAD A TWO-YEAR PILOT PROJECT
WHERE THEY WERE PROVIDING $1000
A MONTH FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS
OF EMPLOYMENT AS A HOUSING
SUBSIDY. SOME OF THAT WAS
FUNDED FROM THEIR POLICE
FOUNDATION AND THEY
SPECIFICALLY CITED THAT IT WAS
ACTUALLY PRETTY EASY TO GET
THAT MONEY BECAUSE EVERYBODY
DOES THE BUSINESSES WANTED MORE
POLICING. THEY WANTED AN
IMPROVED ENVIRONMENT. AND SO
THEY CITED AT THE CONFERENCE
THAT THEY WENT TO SOME OF THOSE
BUSINESSES TO ASK FOR DONATIONS
AND THOSE BUSINESSES SAID, IF
THIS WORKS, JUST COME BACK AND
WE WILL GIVE YOU MORE. THERE
AGENCIES IN UTAH THAT I'M AWARE
OF THAT HAVE HOUSING.
>> BALTIMORE JUST IT IS $6500,
WITHIN 50 MILES OF THEIR
JURISDICTION.
>> THERE ARE MANY AGENCIES IN
THE REGION THAT PROVIDE ALL THE
TUITION REIMBURSEMENT FOR YOU
TO GET YOUR EDUCATION AND
DEGREE WHILE WORKING WITHOUT
ANY KIND OF COMMITMENT TO STAY
OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO IT IS
REALLY CHALLENGING AND IT IS
HARD SOMETIMES AS A RECRUITER
TO CONTINUALLY SAY NO, WE
DON'T HAVE THAT AND NO WE
DON'T HAVE THAT. SO I'M
PASSING IT BACK TO THE CHIEF,
CHIEF DIAZ .
>> SLIDE 17 TO CLOSE OUT OUR
PERSUASIVE PRESENTATION HERE.
SEVERAL STEPS GOING FORWARD.
OBVIOUSLY, WE WANT TO FINALIZE
THE LABOR CONTRACTS WITH THE
OFFICERS UNION. WE HAVE BEEN
NEGOTIATING IN GOOD FAITH AND
WE THINK WE ARE VERY CLOSE.
HOPEFULLY. FINGERS CROSSED
THAT WE WILL SEE A CONCLUSION
THERE THAT IS FAVORABLE VERY
SOON. WE WILL OBVIOUSLY
CONTINUE TO DO OUR ADVERTISING
AND MARKETING TO RECRUIT
ADDITIONAL OFFICERS. WE WILL
WORK WITH OUR TEAM INTERNALLY
IN THE DEPARTMENT AND ALSO WITH
THE PUBLIC SAFETY CIVIL SERVICE
COMMISSION TO SHRINK THE TIME.
WE APPRECIATE ANDREA'S OFFERED
TO DO THAT. WE WILL PRESS HER
TO DO IT EVEN MORE. THE
IMPORTANCE OF AN OFFICER, OR
CANDIDATE WHEN THEY TAKE THE
TEST , THEY CAN SPECIFY SEVERAL
AGENCIES. WHERE YOU WANT YOUR
RESULTS SENT? THEY MIGHT CHECK
SEATTLE. THEY MIGHT CHECK
PORTLAND AND SPOKANE AND DENVER
AND WHO KNOWS? THAT IS SENT
OUT WITHIN A DAY OR TWO OF THE
CANDIDATE TAKING THE TEST. IT
IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT
OUR RECRUITERS KNOW THAT ON THE
SAME TIMELINE. BECAUSE WE ARE
COMPETING WITH ALL OF THE OTHER
AGENCIES THAT THE RECRUIT
CHECKED THAT THEY WANT THE
RESULTS SENT TO. SO WE WILL
CONTINUE TO WORK ON SHORTENING
THE PROCESS. WE ARE WORKING
WITH SOME EXTERNAL RECRUITERS .
WE INVITED SOME OF OUR CITY
PATIENTS MAJOR CORPORATIONS TO
LEND THEIR CHIEF RECRUITMENT
STAFF TO SIT WITH US AND REVIEW
WHAT WE ARE DOING IN THE
RECRUITING OF SEATTLE OFFICERS.
THEY INSTANTLY STEPPED UP AND
SAID, YES, WE WILL PARTICIPATE
IN THIS TOO. NORDSTROM,
MICROSOFT, T-MOBILE, RUSSELL
INVESTMENTS, EXPEDIA AND OTHERS
WILL BE SITTING WITH US IN
EARLY APRIL TO ANALYZE AND
CRITIQUE WHAT WE ARE DOING, TO
SEE HOW WE MIGHT IMPROVE. AND
THEN WE ARE TALKING TO THE
PRIVATE SECTOR HEADHUNTING
FIRMS IN THE CITY. THERE ARE
APPROXIMATELY 12 OF THEM WHO
AGREED TO HELP US WITH THAT
CRITIQUE AND THAT REVIEW TO SEE
HOW WE CAN IMPROVE. AS THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT IS A LEARNING
ORGANIZATION CONTINUOUSLY
IMPROVING, WE WANT TO BE ABLE
TO DO THAT WITH RECRUITMENT AS
WELL. FINALLY, THE LAST SLIDE
HERE, THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN
TALKING ABOUT OTHER WAYS THAT
THEY CAN RECRUIT. I THINK AN
INTERESTING ONE AS THE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HAS THE
SKILLS, SKILL BRIDGE PROGRAM
WHERE SOMEONE WHO WOULD LIKE
EARLY DISMISSAL FROM THE
MILITARY CAN SIGN UP AS AN
INTERN AND A GOVERNMENT AGENCY.
WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT YET BUT
WE ARE EXPLORING THAT. THE
EXPLORER PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE,
I THINK IT IS 14-18 -YEAR-OLDS.
>> 21.
>> THEY CAN BE IN THE PROGRAM.
WE WOULD LIKE TO BE SET UP AND
EXPAND THAT AS WELL. THE
DEPARTMENT HAS INCREASED THEIR
PRESENCE AT RECRUITMENT EVENTS.
NOT ONLY AT COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES BUT ALSO AT
MILITARY BASES IN THE REGION
AND CONFERENCES THAT ARE HELD
AROUND THE COUNTRY SPECIFICALLY
LOOKING AT HIRING POLICE
OFFICERS. THE PROBLEM OF
RECRUITMENT IS NOT JUST A
SEATTLE PROBLEM. THE
PARTNERING UP WITH THE 30 BY 30
INITIATIVE WHICH IS THE DESIRE
TO HAVE 30% OF OFFICERS BE
FEMALE OFFICERS BY 2030. WE
DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO
ACCOMPLISH THAT GOAL BUT THEY
ARE WORKING ON THAT PROGRAM.
AND THEN WE ARE WORKING ON
MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS SO THAT NEW
OFFICERS CAN BE ASSIGNED , A
BUDDY, ESSENTIALLY, AS THEY
MOVE THROUGH THEIR CAREER IN
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO I
KNOW THE MAYOR IS COMMITTED TO
HIS GOAL OF HIRING MORE POLICE
OFFICERS. YOU HAVE BEEN
COMMITTED. WE APPRECIATE THE
ENTHUSIASM. AND WE WILL
CONTINUE TO DO THIS WORK. THANK
YOU.
>> THANK YOU DEPUTY MAYOR
BURGESS AND THE TEAM, CHIEF AND
EVERYONE AT THE TABLE. THANK
YOU FOR YOUR TIME. SPEAKING OF
TIME, WE ARE COMING UP CLOSE TO
OUR TIME. I SAY THAT AS I LOOK
TO MY COUNCILMEMBERS FOR
QUESTIONS. I CAN TELL BY THE
VICE CHAIR'S LOOK THAT HE HAS
A QUESTION. VICE CHAIR SAKA.
>> THANK YOU MR. CHAIR. ALWAYS
QUESTIONS. I'M A CURIOUS MIND.
THANK YOU DEPUTY MAYOR BURGESS,
CHIEF DIAZ AND EVERYONE AT THE
TABLE. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE
INSIGHT SHARED HERE AND THE
WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO DATE
TO ADDRESS THIS VERY PRESSING,
URGENT CHALLENGE. I WANT TO
KIND OF HIGHLIGHT WHAT I THINK
IS A LOWLIGHT. THAT IS, ON
YOUR SLIDE THREE, STATES THAT,
AND THERE IS A NICE GRAPH THAT
VISUALLY DEPICTS THIS THING. AS
OF JANUARY 2024, SPD HAD ONLY
913 FULLY TRAINED AND
DEPLOYABLE OFFICERS. THE LOWEST
LEVEL SINCE THE 1990S. I AM
PERSONALLY ALARMED AND DISMAYED
TO SEE THAT. I THINK THAT IF
ROCK-BOTTOM WAS EVER A THING,
WE ARE PROBABLY HERE. AND
DESPITE SOME ONGOING EFFORTS,
THERE IS CLEARLY MORE WORK FOR
ALL OF US TO DO. MYSELF
INCLUDED. AND SO I THINK THAT
THIS IS DOES THE PUBLIC IS
DEMANDING US TO DO BETTER AND
MOVE QUICKER. THIS IS A CALL TO
ACTION. THESE LOW NUMBERS ARE
REALLY A CALL TO ACTION FOR US
TO SIGNIFICANTLY BOOST HIRING
AND FIGURE OUT BETTER WAYS TO
REACH AND OBTAIN OFFICERS.
STREAMLINE THE HIRING PROCESS
IS AND ALSO BETTER ADDRESS
ONGOING OFFICER MORALE
CHALLENGES. AND WE HEARD A LOT
ABOUT A NUMBER OF DIMENSIONS AS
PART OF THE MORE BROAD WORK
INCLUDING MARKETING AND I'M
GLAD THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN
ADDRESSING THE CRITICAL
MARKETING COMPONENT. MARKETING
IN MY VIEW IS A NECESSARY
CONDITION AND NOT A SUFFICIENT
ONE. WE ARE JUST NOT GOING TO
MARKET OUR WAY OUT OF THIS.
BUT LET US CONTINUE THAT WORK
AND BUILD UPON IT AND IMPROVE
THAT EVEN MORE. I THINK THE
GREATER OPPORTUNITY THAT WE ALL
HAVE HERE TO ADDRESS THE HIRING
CHALLENGES, HIGH-LEVEL LIES IN
TWO THINGS. PROCESS AND WE
IDENTIFIED KEY COMPONENTS OF
THAT. NOT ONLY IN THE EARLIER
PRESENTATION BUT HERE NOW AS
WELL AND THEN MORALE. OFFICER
MORALE. WE ARE DELIGHTED TO BE
JOINED HERE BY THE SPD CHIEF
MORALE OFFICER. THAT IS YOU,
CHIEF DIAZ. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO
DELEGATE THAT ROLE AND FUNCTION
HOWEVER YOU SEE FIT FROM MY
PERSPECTIVE. BUT I WILL BE
LOOKING TO YOU AND IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU, TO FIGURE
OUT HOW WE CAN BETTER INCREASE
MORALE IN ADDITION TO KNOCKING
DOWN SOME OF THOSE UNNECESSARY
BUREAUCRATIC BARRIERS AND
BETTER SOME FLYING AND
STREAMLINING THE HIRING
PROCESSES. BUT I WOULD BE
CURIOUS TO UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE
AS WE LEARN, IT TAKES OVER A
YEAR FROM FRONTLINE NEW RECRUIT
APPLYING TODAY, A YEAR BEFORE
THEY ARE ON THE FORCE, ON THE
STREET. EVEN THEN, HOW MANY
PEOPLE COULD BE HIRE A YEAR?
WERE KEY RECRUITS, 60 OR
SOMETHING, 60-70 POTENTIALLY. ?
>> WE WANT TO HIRE 125 YEAR.
>> THAT NEW ROOKIES.
>> INCLUDING 56.
>> WE HAD A TOTAL OF 62 HIRES
LAST YEAR .
>> SO YOUR ACADEMY SPACE,
THERE IS AN AMOUNT OF PEOPLE
YOU CAN HIRE AS FAR AS YOUR
ACADEMY SPACE AND I THINK THAT
IS IN THE 84 RANGE. AND THEN
WE HAVE LATERALS. THE GOAL IS
ALSO, IF WE COULD START HIRING
AT A HIGHER RATE, WE ARE
WORKING WITH THE STATE ACADEMY
TO POTENTIALLY HAVE CLASSES
WHERE WE ARE NOT AFFECTING
OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR
SPACE IN A POOL OF CANDIDATES.
SO THE GOAL IS TO GET TO THE
125 SO WE COULD ACTUALLY HAVE
SPD ON IT. IT STREAMLINES ON
THE BACK END. THERE ARE THINGS
THAT, IF WE COULD ACTUALLY SEE
THE HIRING INCREASE AT A HIGHER
RATE, IT ACTUALLY CREATES A
LITTLE MORE EFFICIENCY. IT
WOULD BE DIFFICULT INITIALLY
BUT THEN IT WILL ACTUALLY
STREAMLINE THE WHOLE PROCESS.
>> SO IT SOUNDS LIKE -- THANK
YOU FOR THAT. I DON'T KNOW
IF WE CAN GET TO THE STAFFING
LEVELS WE NEED BY HIRING
ROOKIES ONLY AND THAT IS WHY
IT IS INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT TO
HIRE MORE LATERALS FROM OTHER
AGENCIES AND JURISDICTIONS. WE
ARE COMPETING. WE ARE BOTH
COLLABORATING WITH THE
NEIGHBORING CITIES AND
JURISDICTIONS AND THEN
COMPETING WITH THEM AND IT IS A
RACE TO THE TOP AND THE PUBLIC
WINS. THAT IS WHY THIS IS SO
URGENT AND SO IMPORTANT AND WE
ARE NOT GOING TO GET TO THE
STAFFING LEVELS WE NEED WITH
THE ROOKIE TOO -- ROOKIE
HIRINGS ALONE. THAT WILL BE
IMPORTANT FOR US TO BUILD THE
PIPELINE. BUT I WOULD LOVE TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE
OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO
SPECIFICALLY DRIVE RECRUITMENT
WITH OUR LATERAL HIRES. HOW
ARE WE THINKING ABOUT THAT NOW
AND HOW ARE WE APPROACHING
THAT? AND WHAT MORE WORK IS
THERE TO BE DONE?
>> WE ACTUALLY, I JUST SWORE
AND A YOUNG MAN FROM JACKSON,
MISSISSIPPI. CAME FROM THE
JACKSON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SAID THAT HE HAD AN AGENCY
READY TO COME OVER BECAUSE THE
PAY IS HIGHER HERE. AND I SAID
OKAY. HOW CAN WE UTILIZE YOU
TO POTENTIALLY RECRUIT? HE IS
GOING THROUGH THE ACADEMY AND
WILL BE GOING THROUGH THE SPD
FOR THE BADGE. HOW CAN WE
UTILIZE THAT SKILL SET AND
THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AS WELL ?
MAY BE BEING THAT NIMBLE FORCE,
IF HE FEELS THERE ARE
CANDIDATES THAT WE CAN TARGET,
WE SEND THE RECRUITING TEAM TO
BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND ALSO
FIGURE OUT, SOME OF THESE
AGENCIES LIKE JACKSON,
MISSISSIPPI CAN ALSO BE
HIGHLIGHTED. ABOUT SOME OF THE
THINGS WE ARE MOVING TOWARDS.
WE ARE DOING CALL
PRIORITIZATION. WE ARE
ADJUSTING THE WORK LOAD, THE
CALL LOAD. THAT IS ONE ASPECT.
WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE
DON'T PUT ALL THE WORK ON OUR
PATROL OFFICERS. WE ARE ALSO
DOING -- ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT BECOMES A MORAL ISSUE IS
THAT WE HAVE SUCH A HUGE ROBUST
LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY THAT IT
BECOMES -- AS SOON AS THEY SEE
THE OPA CONFIDENTIAL, IT IS
THIS THING THAT COMES AROUND.
EVEN THOUGH WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE
THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING
WRONG, IT IS AN EMOTIONAL DRAIN
ON THEM. TAKING -- WE HAVE
BEEN WORKING ON THE CONSENT
DECREE AND MONITORING AND
OTHERS TO SAY, SOME OF OUR
COMPLAINTS ARE SUCH LOW-LEVEL
COMPLAINTS, IS THERE A PROCESS
THAT WE CAN MOVE IT BACK TO THE
SERGEANTS AND STREAMLINE IT SO
IT MAKES THE OFFICERS FEEL LIKE
THEY ARE ACTUALLY PART OF THE
SOLUTION, OF RESTORING THE
OFFICER, IF THERE IS SOME SORT
OF MINOR ISSUE? THE BIG ISSUE
IS THEY WILL STILL GO TO THE
OPA AND THAT WON'T CHANGE. WE
ARE LOOKING AT TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT HOW WE STREAMLINE THE USE
OF FORCE REPORTING MECHANISM.
WE ARE NOT ROLLING BACK THE
CONSENT DECREE STUFF BUT HOW DO
WE STREAMLINE IT SO THAT IT
MAKES IT EASIER SO THE OFFICERS
CAN GET BACK TO THE STREETS
QUICKER? THOUGH THEY ARE
ANSWERING MORE 911 CALLS. THERE
ARE ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT
ARE IN TURN WHAT WE ARE
CREATING THE EFFICIENCIES TO
HOPEFULLY HELP BUILD THE MORALE
INTERNALLY. AND ALSO, BECAUSE
REALLY WE NEED THE OFFICERS TO
GO TO OTHER AGENCIES AND SAY,
LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO
CHANGE IT. WE HAVE THE BEST
POLICING TYPE IN THE COUNTRY
THAT COME HERE. SO THAT IS THE
INCREASE OF MORALE THAT YOU
NEED AND ALSO THE INCREASE OF
LATERALS THAT WE NEED TO BE
FOCUSED ON AS WELL.
>> ON THE SLIDE 15, THERE IS A
LOCAL AGENCY COMPARISON CHART.
I NOTE THAT EVERETT CURRENTLY
HAS A $15,000 INCENTIVE AND
SEATTLE TODAY WE HAVE A $7500
INCENTIVE. DO YOU THINK
MATCHING THAT, THE EVERETT
HIRING INCENTIVE WOULD
MATERIALLY MOVE THE BALL, MOVE
THE DIAL IN ANY WAY?
>> I THINK THAT, AS SUGGESTED,
SOME OF THE DIFFERENT
INCENTIVES, EDUCATION IS A HUGE
INCENTIVE. VEHICLE, TAKE ON
VEHICLES IS ANOTHER. THERE ARE
COSTS TO THOSE. ONE OF THE
THINGS THEY'RE LOOKING AT IS
CREATING A POTENTIAL MASTER
POLICE OFFICER PROGRAM. AND
MAYBE THOSE MASTER POLICE
OFFICERS ARE THE GROUP WE END
UP OFFERING TAKE-HOME CARS TO
BECAUSE THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH
EXTRA TRAINING AND HAVE TAKEN
EXTRA STEPS TO BETTER
THEMSELVES. AND SO WE I THINK
SOMETIMES PAY IS A GOOD THING.
IT IS THOSE EXTRA INCENTIVES
THAT SHOW THAT WE ARE INVESTING
IN OUR PEOPLE. AND SOMETIMES
IT'S EDUCATION. SOMETIMES IT
IS A VEHICLE. SOMETIMES A
MASTER POLICE OFFICER PROGRAM
WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE THAT HELPS
THEM IN THEIR CAREER MOVEMENT
AS WELL.
>> WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE INCENTIVE OF HOUSING
SUBSIDIES AND OTHER
JURISDICTIONS LIKE LA
POTENTIALLY USING THOSE. WHAT
ABOUT RELOCATION ASSISTANCE? I
THINK IT IS A GOOD WORTHWHILE
GOAL TO GET AS MANY OFFICERS IN
PARTICULAR TO LIVE HERE IN
SEATTLE OR AS CLOSE TO SEATTLE
AS POSSIBLE. HAVE YOU THOUGHT
ABOUT THAT IS A POTENTIAL
INCENTIVE? HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS
THAT INCENTIVE STACKED AGAINST
OTHER POSSIBILITIES ?
>> WE HAVE THAT. WE HAVE THAT
IN PLACE TODAY.
>> 5000 FOR ENTRY-LEVEL AND
$7500 FOR OUT-OF-STATE.
>> REIMBURSABLE MOVING COSTS.
>> THAT IS GREAT.
>> AND THEN PAIRED WITH AN
ACTUAL HOUSING SUBSIDY, I THINK
THAT WOULD BE THE MOST
IMPACTFUL. THAT IS GOOD TO KNOW
THAT WE HAVE RELOCATION
ASSISTANCE IN PLACE TODAY.
>> COUNCILMEMBER, ALSO, ONE OF
THE THINGS SOME AGENCIES ARE
DOING OR INVESTING IN,
SOMETIMES HIS CHILDCARE. THEY
ARE NOT WILLING TO GO AND TRY
ANOTHER JOB BECAUSE THEY HAVE
GOT -- THEY STRUGGLE WITH
CHILDCARE ISSUES. AND I KNOW
THAT SAN DIEGO AND OTHER
DIFFERENT AGENCIES ARE LOOKING
AT, HOW TO USE THE FOUNDATION
TO POTENTIALLY BE ABLE TO HELP
SUBSIDIZE THE COSTS? THESE ARE
ALL THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE PUT
ON THE TABLE. BECAUSE WE HAVE A
WORKFORCE THAT FOR THE LAST
COUPLE OF YEARS, HAS WORKED
FROM HOME. AND NOW THAT WE ARE
TRYING TO GET THEM OUT OF
WORKING FROM HOME AND INTO THE
FIELD, THEY WILL STRUGGLE WITH
CHILDCARE AND THE STRUGGLES OF
MAINTAINING CERTAIN THINGS AT
HOME ARE ALL THINGS WE HAD TO
PAY ATTENTION TO.
>> THE POLICE PROFESSIONALS
AND ALL FIRST RESPONDERS HAVE
BEEN ON THE FRONT LINES THE
WHOLE TIME AND PUTTING THE
HEALTH AND SAFETY ON THE LINE
TO PROTECT US. AND I
APPRECIATE. AS A DAD OF THREE
YOUNG KIDS IN ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL, THAT CHALLENGE AND AN
OPPORTUNITY OF CHILDCARE
INCENTIVES IS SOMETHING NEAR
AND DEAR TO ME. AND I SEE IT
AS A POTENTIAL GAME CHANGER.
IN ANY EVENT, I WOULD CLOSE BY
SAYING THANK YOU AGAIN. WE
APPRECIATE THIS OVERVIEW AND
THIS PARTNERSHIP AND I SHARE
YOUR COMMITMENT AND I'M GLAD
THE MAYOR IS THINKING ABOUT
THIS SERIOUSLY AND I SHARE HIS
COMMITMENT TO MAKING PROGRESS
ON THIS. IT IS NOT ONE PERSON
OR ONE PARTY OR ONE BRANCH THAT
IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
IT IS THE SHARED RESPONSIBILITY
AND CERTAIN BRANCHES ARE
SLIGHTLY LESS EMPOWERED THEN
OTHERS TO BE. BUT THIS WILL
TAKE AN ALL HANDS ON DECK
EFFORT. AND I APPRECIATE THE
WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE. NOW
IT IS TIME TO RATCHET IT UP.
NOW IT IS TIME TO ROLL UP THE
SLEEVES AND GET BUSY EVEN MORE
AND I WELCOME THAT OPPORTUNITY.
THE FINAL THING I WILL SAY,
FINAL PLUG I WILL SAY IS THAT
ON THE MARKETING PIECE, THERE
HAS BEEN GREAT PROMO AND
MARKETING VIDEOS WITH THE MAYOR
AND OTHERS BUT WE HAVE A NEW
CITY COUNCIL HERE AND WE HAVE
-- TO THE EXTENT, POLITICAL
LEADERS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS
AND THEIR PRIORITIES AND HOW
THAT MAY IMPACT RECRUITMENT AND
RETENTION OR NOT. I THINK IT
DOES A LITTLE BIT. THAT IS WHY
I TRY TO PRIORITIZE SHOWING UP
AND VISITING FOLKS BUT I AM
GLAD THAT THERE ARE SOME
EXISTING MARKETING PROMOTIONAL
MATERIALS WITH THE MAYOR. WE
HAVE A COUNCIL HERE WHERE
COUNCILMEMBER HOLLINGSWORTH IS
LASER FOCUSED ON PARKS AND USE.
WE HAVE COUNCIL PRESIDENT WHO
IS REALLY FOCUSED ON SMALL
BUSINESS ISSUES AND IMPACTING
SMALL BUSINESSES. WE HAVE A
CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMITTEE WHO IS FOCUSED ON
ADDRESSING THE PERMISSIVE
ENVIRONMENT. I'M JUST A DUDE
THAT IS LASER FOCUSED ON BEING
THE KING OF POTHOLES. AND SO
JUST A LITTLE NITTY-GRITTY
THINGS THAT I THINK
COLLECTIVELY, REALLY HELPED
MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN
PEOPLE'S EVERYDAY LIVES. IT IS
NOT GLAMOROUS AND UNSEXY
PRIMARILY FOCUSING ON THE
THINGS I CALLED OUT NOW. TO
THAT EXTENT, IT MATTERS TO SOME
RANK-AND-FILE OFFICERS. LET
THEM KNOW THAT THIS IS WHAT THE
COUNCIL IS FOCUSED ON.
>> I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO
ALL THE MEMBERS THAT HAVE
ATTENDED ROLL CALLS. IT DOES
MAKE A DIFFERENCE. HEARING AND
LISTENING TO THE OFFICERS MAKES
THEM UNDERSTAND THAT THE
COUNCIL IS ENGAGED IN THEIR
WORK AND BELIEVES IN THEM. I
APPRECIATE THAT AND WE HAVE
BEEN DISCUSSING ABOUT INCLUDING
THE CITY COUNCIL IN SOME OF THE
POTENTIAL VIDEOS BECAUSE THIS
IS THE FIRST TIME I CAN TELL
YOU THAT OUR RECRUITS KNOW EACH
AND EVERY ONE OF YOUR CITY
COUNCIL PRIORITIES AND I CAN
TELL YOU THAT DURING MY TIME
WHEN I WAS COMING INTO THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT IN 1997, I
DIDN'T KNOW ONE CITY COUNCIL
MEMBER. I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT
WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES WERE. I
JUST WANTED TO DO THE JOB. THEY
PAY ATTENTION TO THIS AND THEY
ARE MORE ENGAGED IN THIS AND SO
IT MATTERS WITH YOUR SUPPORT.
>> YOU WOULD BE HAPPY
SCREENING APPLICATIONS,
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA.
>> I WOULD ECHO WITH THE
POLICE CHIEF SAID. POLICE
OFFICERS ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO
WHAT THE ELECTED LEADERS OF
THEIR CITIES ARE SAYING AND
DOING. WE CERTAINLY SAW THAT IN
2020 AND IN A NEGATIVE WAY. SO
EVERYTHING YOU DO, THE
STATEMENTS YOU MAKE AND THE
ROLE CALLS YOU VISIT AND THE
SUPPORT YOU SHOW FOR OFFICERS
IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AND
THAT MESSAGE IS COMMUNICATED
REALLY FAST THROUGH THE RANKS
OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. IT IS
TRUE THAT OF THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT AS WELL. THE UNIFORM
SERVICES LOOK TO THE POLITICAL
LEADERSHIP OF THE CITY FOR
THEIR DIRECTION AND SO THAT IS
A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY THAT YOU
ALL HOLD. THE MAYOR IS KEENLY
AWARE OF THAT. THAT IS WHY HE
HAD POLICE OFFICERS STANDING
WITH HIM WHEN HE STARTED HIS
CAMPAIGN FOR MAYOR. THAT IS WHY
HE GOES TO ROLL CALL. THAT IS
WHY HE MEETS WITH OFFICERS ON A
REGULAR BASIS. SO THANK YOU FOR
WHAT YOU ARE DOING. YOU ARE
CHANGING THE TONE. YOU ARE
CHANGING THE ATMOSPHERE FOR
OFFICERS AND HOW THEY VIEW THE
POLITICAL LEADERS OF OUR CITY.
THANK YOU.
>> NOT JUST THE TWO DEPARTMENTS
BUT ALL NINE THAT FALL UNDER
THE COMMITTEE PATIENTS
JURISDICTION. PROBABLY THE BEST
MOVE I CAN MAKE NOW IS CHANGING
THE FACE OF THIS COUNCIL FROM
VICE CHAIR SAKA TO
COUNCILMEMBER HOLLINGSWORTH.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION?
>> I DO. THANK YOU CHAIR
KETTLE. I WANTED TO REITERATE
WHAT DEPUTY MAYOR BURGESS SAID
FOR SLIDE 13. JUST BECAUSE,
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR LIKE BLACK
PEOPLE WERE 6% OF THE
POPULATION, YET WE WERE 25%
RECRUITS. I THINK THAT SPEAKS
VOLUMES THAT WE WANT TO BE PART
OF THE SOLUTION. WE WANT TO BE
IN THE COMMUNITY. WE WANT
PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE US AND
CONNECT WITH US AND I THINK
THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THE
RECRUITING EFFORTS THAT YOU ALL
HAVE PUT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO
THAT. THE SECOND THING I WANTED
TO NOTE, AND I HAVE TALKED TO
THE CHIEF ABOUT THIS AND I
THINK I MENTIONED IT TO
BURGESS. THIS IS MY PLUG FOR
ATHLETES. ENTERPRISE, ALAMO
AND NATIONAL DO A PHENOMENAL
JOB. THEY ARE ONE OF THE TOP
COMPANIES THAT RECRUIT THE
LARGEST AMOUNT OF COLLEGE
ATHLETES THAT COME INTO THEIR
COMPANY. RIGHT NOW, THERE OUR
20 ATHLETES IN THE COUNTRY. OF
THOSE, 226,000 ARE WOMEN. AND
WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL HAS
TAKEN OFF. IT PROBABLY HAS THE
BEST STORYLINE THIS YEAR AT THE
FINAL FOUR ARE PHENOMENAL
PLACES TO DO RECRUITMENT JUST
BECAUSE IT BRINGS SO MANY
DIFFERENT TYPES OF AMAZING
PEOPLE THERE AND JUST BEING A
FORMER ATHLETE MYSELF, KNOWING
ABOUT TEAMWORK, KNOWING ABOUT
BEING A SELF-STARTER AND
KNOWING ABOUT COMMITMENT AND
JUST HAVING A HIGH LEVEL OF
INTEGRITY AND THOSE ARE THE
MAIN THINGS EMBEDDED IN
ATHLETES. I THINK THEY WOULD
BE PHENOMENAL POLICE OFFICERS
IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. SO I
JUST WANTED TO GIVE THAT PLUG
AS WELL.
>> I AGREE WITH YOU 100%.
STUDENT ATHLETES, WE ARE
DEFINITELY TRYING TO GET OUR
FOOTHOLD MORE IN THAT. WE FIND
THAT THEY HAVE THE WORK ETHIC,
THE TEAMWORK. THAT EXACTLY IS
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR. THEY
ARE OBVIOUSLY PHYSICALLY FIT
ALREADY. MANY OF THEM MAY HAVE
NOT BEEN SO LASER FOCUSED ON
WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO
AFTER COLLEGE BECAUSE
POTENTIALLY, THOUGHT THEY WERE
GOING TO GO PRO OR LEAVING
THEIR OPTIONS OPEN. SO THERE
SEEMED TO BE MORE OPENNESS TO A
CAREER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. IF
ANYONE HAS ANY FOOTHOLDS INTO
ANY OF THOSE ATHLETIC
DEPARTMENTS AT UNIVERSITIES,
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PASS THEM
AWAY. I KNOW THEY ARE VERY
PROTECTIVE OF THEIR TIME. BUT
WE LOVE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO GET
FIVE OR 10 MINUTES BEFORE A
TEAM PRACTICE OR ANYTHING LIKE
THAT. JUST TO TOUT THE BENEFITS
OF THE CAREER.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THERE IS A
THING CALLED THE ATHLETES
NETWORK. IT GIVES YOU ACCESS TO
OVER 500 ATHLETIC DEPARTMENTS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND IT IS
WHAT ENTERPRISE AND NATIONAL
USE TO GET INTO ATHLETES. THEY
ARE ALSO PART OF THE NC2A. THEY
ALSO DO A GREAT JOB OF
MARKETING CONNECTION AND I
THINK THAT WOULD -- I HAVE
BEEN DOING MY PART --
>> CAN YOU GIVE ME THAT NAME
AGAIN?
>> YES. IT IS CALLED ATHLETES
NETWORK.
>> COLLEGES PROTECT THE
ATHLETES.
>> IT IS HARD TO GET THROUGH
THAT. VERY PROTECTIVE. WERE
THINKING LIKE OFF-SEASON. JUST
FIVE OR 10 MINUTES IN THE
SUMMER TIME WHEN YOU ARE JUST
DOING A PRACTICE OR SOMETHING.
>> I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO
HELP.
>> THANK YOU. THEY ARE
PHENOMENAL ADDITIONS TO THE
DEPARTMENT FOR SURE .
>> THIS NETWORK IS ALSO
TARGETING SPECIFIC FORMER
COLLEGE ATHLETES. IT IS PEOPLE
WHO ARE NOT CURRENTLY STUDENT
ATHLETES BUT FORMER -- ONE OR
TWO YEARS OR STEPS AWAY. I
JUST WANTED TO GIVE THAT PLUG.
THANK YOU.
>> COUNCIL PRESIDENT, THANK
YOU. COUNCIL PRESIDENT NELSON.
>> JUST TO TAKE US BACK A
LITTLE WAYS, IN MARCH OF 2022,
I PUT TOGETHER SOME
LEGISLATION. A RESOLUTION
32050, CALLING FOR ANOTHER
HIRING BONUS PROGRAM AND
CALLING FOR THE LIFTING OF A
BUDGET PROVISO ON THE SALARY
SAVINGS OF UNFILLED POLICE
OFFICER POSITIONS. AND THAT
FINALLY PAST. THAT WAS IN MAY
OF 2022 AND IT WAS FOLLOWED BY
THE PASSAGE OF ORDINANCE 126654
WHICH WAS PUT FORWARD BY THE
MAYOR. EXECUTIVE GENERATED. IT
APPROPRIATED $1.8 MILLION TO
IMPLEMENT THE MAYOR'S
RETENTION PLAN WHICH INCLUDED
BONUSES AS ONE COMPONENT. SO
THAT WAS THE GOOD NEWS. BUT THE
BONUSES WERE NEVER ADVERTISED.
BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THE
30,000-DOLLAR OR WHATEVER
AMOUNT OF A BONUS WE ARE
OFFERING IS A SMALL AMOUNT BUT
WE HAD TO DO IT BECAUSE EVERY
OTHER JURISDICTION AROUND WAS
DOING IT. AND IT WAS SOMETHING
TO MAKE US MORE COMPETITIVE.
BUT IT ONLY MATTERS IF PEOPLE
KNOW ABOUT IT. SO THAT WAS ONE
OF MY DISAPPOINTMENTS THAT THEY
WERE NOT AGGRESSIVELY
ADVERTISED ON LOCAL PAPERS OR
COMMUNITY COLLEGE LISTSERV'S
OR WHATEVER. BY THE END OF
2022, ONLY 320,000 OF THOSE
SALARY SAVINGS WAS SPENT WITH
THE REST GOING INTO THE GENERAL
FUND. SO ONLY 328 WAS SPENT
AND THE REST GOING INTO THE
GENERAL FUND AT THE END OF
2022. I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE
REASONS FOR THAT. I WAS
GETTING FRUSTRATED ABOUT THE
SENSE OF URGENCY TO SPEND THE
MONEY AVAILABLE . IN 2023,
COUNSEL APPROPRIATED $3.8
MILLION. AND 1.5 MILLION WAS
FOR THE AD CAMPAIGN THAT YOU
DISCUSSED. AND THEN ON MAY
23rd, CENTRAL STAFF GAVE A
PRESENTATION SHOWING THAT ONLY
228,000 OF THE 3.8 MILLION
ALLOCATED HAD BEEN SPENT BY THE
END OF MARCH. BY THE END OF
LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE MOST OF
IT, BARRING MAYBE 600,000 OR
SO, HAD BEEN SPENT OF THE
APPROPRIATION. MY POINT IS
THAT IN ADVERTISING, THE
CAMPAIGN IS ONE COMPONENT AND
IT IS IMPORTANT BUT WE HAVE
ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE PROCESS
IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN BE MADE
AND COUNSEL AND ITS OVERSIGHT
FUNCTION COULD BE WORKING ON
SOMETHING TO MAKE SURE THAT
THOSE ARE IMPLEMENTED. AT THE
SAME TIME, PART OF THE
RETENTION PLAN WAS TO HIRE
SOMEBODY TO HELP TELL YOU WHAT
TO DO IN TERMS OF IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY
RECRUITMENT INNOVATION MANAGER
HAD GREAT IDEAS THAT WERE
PRESENTED AT VARIOUS POINTS,
INCLUDING IN MARCH OF 2023 THAT
MAYBE THE TESTING SERVICE
SHOULD BE CHANGED AND IT HAS
BEEN SLOW TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF
THE VALUE OF THOSE IDEAS. I
THINK PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE
WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT
ENTITIES IN CHARGE OF THIS
WHOLE THING. THERE IS THE HR
DEPARTMENTS AND THE PUBLIC
SAFETY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
THAT HAS INDEPENDENCE AND THEN
THERE IS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, ET
CETERA. AND SO WHO OWNS THIS?
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I DO
THINK THERE SHOULD BE AN
ENTITY, A PERSON, SOMEONE IN
CHARGE OF MAKING SURE THE
FUNNEL OF APPLICATIONS TO HIRE
IS GOING SMOOTHLY. AND USING
THE INNOVATIONS AND A CREW MET
AT BREMERTON OR WHEREVER. THERE
ARE SO MANY IDEAS THAT WERE
PRESENTED AND SITTING ON A
SHELF. I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT
WE HAVE THE EXPERTISE OF SOME
GREAT RECRUITERS ON THE
CORPORATE SIDE HELPING US. I
THINK WE SHOULD START WITH WHAT
WE HAVE AND MOVE QUICKLY WITH
THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE HAVE GOT
BEFORE US. AND HOPEFULLY, IT IS
A NEW DAY. WE HAVE SOME FOLKS
TO REALLY MAKE SOME CHANGE. SO
LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. THANK
YOU .
>> COUNCILMEMBER MOORE.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE
PRESENTATION. I GUESS IT FALLS
ON ME TO BE SOMEWHAT GRUMPY. I
WANT TO BRING UP THE 30 BY 30.
I READ IT AND I WAS VERY, VERY
TROUBLED. AND ALSO LOOKING AT
THE NUMBERS WE HAVE OF WOMEN
APPLYING THROUGH -- 13.6% AND
WE MAKE UP 39.6% OF THE
POPULATION VERSUS 84.6. WE
IDENTIFY THAT OF THE 15
BASICALLY. WHEN YOU READ THE
COMMENTS, IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT
A SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF THIS IS
CHILDCARE. AND CHIEF, YOU
MENTIONED THAT. WHAT I WOULD
LIKE TO SEE IS AN ACTUAL PLAN
FOR HOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
IS GOING TO ADDRESS PROVIDING
CHILDCARE AND THERE IS TALK
ABOUT LOOKING AT OTHER
JURISDICTIONS WHERE THEY DO
PROVIDE CHILDCARE, PARTICULARLY
IN THE EVENINGS. BUT A
COROLLARY TO PROVIDING
CHILDCARE IS HAVING MORE AND I
APOLOGIZE IF YOU ARE ALREADY
DOING THIS, BUT IT APPEARS THAT
THERE IS NOT NECESSARILY THIS
SAME TYPE OF FLEXIBILITY AND
SCHEDULING AND CREATING
SCHEDULES AROUND THE CHILDCARE
NEEDS OF THE WOMEN PATROL
OFFICERS. IT SEEMS LIKE THERE
ARE SOME CONCRETE STEPS THAT
CAN BE TAKEN THERE. AND
ADDITIONALLY, TALKING ABOUT MEN
TOURING, THAT IS INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT. YOU ALSO HAVE A
GENDER IMBALANCE IN THE
DEPARTMENT AND IT CAN BE --
THERE ARE GENDER DYNAMICS THAT
CAN LEAD OVER INTO THINGS THAT
ARE NOT NECESSARILY HELPFUL.
IT IS IMPORTANT HOW YOU SET UP
THE MENTORING PROGRAM TO BE
MINDFUL OF THAT. AND I'M NOT
TELLING SOMETHING YOU DON'T
ALREADY KNOW. BUT ALSO
TRUTHFULLY, THERE WAS SERIOUS
CONCERN ON MY PART ABOUT
POTENTIAL SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND
DISCRIMINATION AND GENERAL. MY
LAWYER WAS DINGING. SO WE
REALLY NEED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK
AT THAT AS WELL. SO JUST
MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY NOW TO BRING
IN SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF WOMEN
WHO WILL BE MAKING IT A BETTER
FORCE AND WE REPRESENT HALF OF
THE POPULATION OUT THERE. AS WE
SIT ON THE BENCH, WE NEED
PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE US. AND WE
KNOW THAT ACROSS THE SPECTRUM.
SO MY PLUG FOR THAT.
>> MCCUE FOR THAT. AND I THINK
IT WAS IMPORTANT AS A PERSON OF
COLOR GROWING UP IN THIS
DEPARTMENT, I KNOW FROM MY OWN
EXPERIENCES, WE DON'T ALWAYS
REPORT THINGS THAT SHOULD BE
GOING TO EO OR OTHER ISSUES
PEOPLE FIND THAT DON'T FEEL
RIGHT OR THAT AREN'T RIGHT.
I WANTED TO ORDER THE REPORT TO
BE DONE BECAUSE FOCUS GROUPS,
YOU CAN GET A LOT OF
INFORMATION FROM. AND FROM
THAT, LIEUTENANT HUGHES IS
WORKING ON A WOMAN'S WORK
GROUP THAT WILL ACTUALLY END UP
HOPEFULLY BEING ABLE TO COME UP
WITH MORE IDEAS FROM IT. WE HAD
A PART-TIME PROGRAM WE CREATED
FOR OFFICERS. THINKING THAT
PEOPLE WOULD UTILIZE IT AND IT
HASN'T BEEN UTILIZED. WE NEED
TO FIGURE OUT, WHY AREN'T
PEOPLE UTILIZING THE PROGRAM?
SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL END OF
HAVING CHILDREN AND A PART-TIME
PROGRAM WOULD BE THE GOOD IDEA
TO POTENTIALLY GO TO. BUT WHY
DOESN'T IT FIT WITHIN THE
DYNAMICS OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE
HOPING FOR. THE MENTORSHIP WAS
A COMPONENT OF THE OF THAT.
CHILDCARE IS A COMPONENT. WE
ARE ALSO LOOKING AT -- WE
DIDN'T JUST CREATE A WOMEN'S
WORK GROUP. WE HAVE BEEN
MEETING WITH SOME OF OUR BLACK
COMMANDERS AS WELL AS WE WILL
BE EXPANDING THAT INTO THE
LGBTQ OFFICERS AS WELL. SO TO
GET A DIFFERENT ASSESSMENT FROM
OUR DIFFERENT WORK GROUPS, THE
DIFFERENT PERSONNEL. AND ALSO,
THE DEPARTMENT IS INTERESTING
BECAUSE OVER 50% OF THE
CIVILIAN SIDE IS ACTUALLY
FEMALE. AND SO WHEN I ACTUALLY
TALKED TO THE ICELAND POLICE
COMMISSIONER, THEIR DEPARTMENT
IS ALMOST -- I THINK 40% ARE
FEMALE. THEY REALLY HAVE
EXPANDED OUT THE AMOUNT OF
OFFICERS, FEMALE OFFICERS. IT
IS A DEPARTMENT THAT DOESN'T
HAVE -- MANY DON'T CARRY
FIREARMS. BUT WHAT IS
INTERESTING IS HOW MANY WOMEN
ARE ENGAGED IN THAT COUNTRY AND
THE POLICING PROFESSION. WHAT
CAN WE LEARN FROM SOMETIMES
INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES THAT ARE
SEEING HIGHER RATES AND WE WANT
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE THAT
INFORMATION AND FIGURE IT OUT.
LAST YEAR, I ATTENDED A
WOMEN'S CONFERENCE. YOU LOOKED
AT ANYTHING FROM CHILDCARE TO
PARENTAL LEAVE AND AS PEOPLE
TRANSITION BACK IN, WHAT ARE
COMBINATIONS WE CAN ALSO MAKE?
I KNOW IN ALL THE PRECINCTS, WE
WERE ABLE TO MAKE
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR MOTHERS, FOR
NURSING AND DIFFERENT ASPECTS
OF THIS. AGAIN, WE STILL HAVE A
LONG ROAD TO GO IN THIS AREA
AND THAT IS THE REASON WE ARE
TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE TAKE
THOSE STEPS TO LEARN.
>> CHIEF, IF YOU DON'T MIND,
IF I MIGHT ADD, IN REFERENCE TO
THE 3030 INITIATIVE, SPD HAS A
3030 WORK GROUP. WE ARE IN THE
PROCESS, AS A BIWEEKLY BUILD
OUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
3030 INITIATIVE AND ADDRESSING
SOME OF THE KEY THEMES THAT
AROSE IN THE SPD REPORT. AND
JUST TO GENERALIZE, A SAMPLING
OF THE PROGRAMS UNDERDEVELOPED
-- PROGRAMS WE ARE WORKING ON
DEVELOPING, ARE SOME OF THE
THINGS YOU TALKED ABOUT.
MENTORING FOR FEMALE OFFICERS.
THERE IS A GREAT CITY PLAN THAT
OUR COLLABORATORS TOLD US ABOUT
AND THAT WILL BE ONE OF THE
MAIN FOCUSES OF OUR NEXT
MEETING. IT IS AN EXISTING
MENTORING PLAN THAT SPD CAN
PLUG INTO AND THE EMPLOYEES CAN
PLUG INTO WHERE THEY ARE MEANT
TOWARD BY OTHER SPD EMPLOYEES
OR OTHER CITY EMPLOYEES AS
WELL.
>> THE OTHER PROGRAM, YOU
TALKED ABOUT CHILDCARE. AND
THAT IS A HUGE ISSUE. THAT WAS
A VERY OVERWHELMING ISSUE IN
THE 3030 INITIATIVE REPORTING
AND IN THE SEATTLE PURPORTING.
AND THE CHIEF MENTIONED THAT
SAN DIEGO DOES HAVE A MODEL
PROGRAM THEY ARE USING. IT TOOK
THEM FOUR YEARS TO GET THAT OFF
THE GROUND. THEY ARE ALSO
WORKING WITH LAPD TO DEVELOP A
PROGRAM AS WELL. AND WE WILL
BE LOOKING AT THAT AS WELL.
THERE WAS INFORMATION THAT THE
SERGEANT BROUGHT BACK FROM THE
FORUM THAT THEY WENT TO THAT
TALKED ABOUT OPTIONS OF GETTING
THEM OFF THE GROUND. THAT IS A
BIG PIECE OF THE PUZZLE. WE
TALK ABOUT OTHER WAYS TO
SUPPORT FAMILIES. WITH
EMPLOYEES KNOWING ABOUT FAMILY
MEDICAL LEAVE AND KNOWING ABOUT
THE PART-TIME PROGRAM. FOR
MALES AND FEMALES. I ONLY KNOW
OF A COUPLE OF WOMEN IN MY 207
YEARS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY USED
THE PART-TIME PROGRAM AND IT
WAS AN AMAZING PROGRAM. THEY
MAINTAINED BENEFITS. THEY COME
TO WORK HAPPIER BECAUSE THEY
HAD A BETTER WORKLIFE BALANCE.
BUT WE WILL BE HAVING A CADRE
THAT GOES OUT AND TALKS TO SOME
OF THOSE THINGS SO THAT
EVERYONE IN THE PRECINCT KNOWS
ABOUT THAT. ALSO A CADRE THAT
TALKS ABOUT AWARENESS, SOME OF
THE CHALLENGES, ISSUES AND
THINGS THAT HAVE COME UP IN THE
PLAN HERE. SO THAT IS JUST
SCRATCHING THE SURFACE ON WHAT
WE ARE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.
>> EXCELLENT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU LIEUTENANT HUGHES.
IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK AND
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP
AND EVERYONE INVOLVED. I ALSO
WANT TO NOTE SOMETHING THAT IS
KIND OF UNIQUE AND JUST COMING
OUT IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION
AS WELL. ALSO IMPACTING PEOPLE
OF COLOR. THE LEGISLATION WAS
ACTUALLY TO BE ABLE TO HIRE
DACA RECIPIENTS AS POLICE
OFFICERS. AND I AM A BIG
PROPONENT OF IT. I HAVE BEEN
WORKING NATIONALLY. THERE ARE
ONLY A FEW STATES THAT ARE
DOING THIS. CALIFORNIA,
COLORADO, VIRGINIA ACTUALLY IS
GOING THROUGH THEIR
REGISTRATION. WE HAVE BEEN
GOING THROUGH OUR LEGISLATION.
VERY FEW STATES AND THERE HAVE
ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING WITH THE
ATF IN THE PROCESS BECAUSE
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT THEY
ARE MAKING RULINGS ON THAT WE
ARE WORKING WITH THEM TO BE
ABLE TO TRANSITION AND MAKE
SURE POLICIES FIT IN LINE. THIS
IS ALSO ANOTHER ADDED BENEFIT
TO INCREASING NOT ONLY THE
RANKS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR BUT
ALSO, WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF
FEMALES FIT INTO THE DACA
CATEGORY AS WELL. AND SO THIS
IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE WE ARE HIGHLIGHTING
AND THAT WE ARE PART OF THE
INCEPTION. LAPD HAD 12 AND ONE
OF THE LAST CLASSES. THE
SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IN LA IS
ALSO EXPERIENCING THIS AND THIS
IS SOME OF THE BEST CANDIDATES
THAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR ACADEMY
CLASSES. I THINK THAT WE WANT
TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE ARE
APPRECIATIVE OF THE STATE
TAKING ON THE ISSUE AND
FIGURING OUT WAYS THAT WE CAN
ALSO BE ABLE TO INCREASE THE
CANDIDATE POOL THAT
TRADITIONALLY WE HAVE NOT
LOOKED AT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU
FOR EVERYONE AT THE TABLE AND
THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION
HERE IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL
FOR THIS IN-DEPTH LOOK AT
RECRUITING AND RETENTION. AS I
MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, WE
AS THE COUNCIL SHOULD ALSO LOOK
AT OURSELVES. AND LOOK FOR
ACCOUNTABILITY AND ANSWERS TO
SPD STAFFING. CLEARLY THE
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL GAVE MIXED
MESSAGES AT BEST THAT SALLY
COMMUNICATED THAT POLICE
OFFICERS WERE NOT WANTED. THE
DEFUND PLEDGE ITSELF
SPECIFICALLY CREATED THAT
ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE HAD THE
MESSAGE OF NOT BEING WANTED. SO
TODAY, WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE
IMPACT OF THE DEFUND PLEDGE AND
ALSO DRAW A LINE UNDER IT
BECAUSE WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD
AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE GOING
TO DO. THERE ARE SO MANY
VARIABLES AT PLAY. FIRST IS THE
QUESTION OF SALARIES WHICH IS
SO KEY. OBVIOUSLY, THREE OF US
ARE -- NOT IS ON THE COMMITTEE
BUT THE SELECT LABOR COMMITTEE
WHICH WILL BE WORKING THIS VERY
MUCH. THERE ARE OTHER IMPACTS
ON MORALE LIKE THE KING COUNTY
JAIL. THIS IS ABOUT
LEADERSHIP. WHEN I SAY THAT,
THIS IS NOT ABOUT BEING A
CHEERLEADER CHEERLEADING, BUT
RATHER, ACKNOWLEDGING THE ROLE
OF SPD AND WHAT IT HAS IN THE
PUBLIC SAFETY POSTURE AND HOW
CENTRAL SPD STAFFING IS AND
BEING SUPPORTIVE OF IT. SO I
AGAIN CALL FOR ALL THOSE
LOOKING TO RETIRE OR TRANSFER
TO ANOTHER JURISDICTION THIS
YEAR TO GIVE US ONE YEAR. I
WOULD ADD TO THAT TOO THAT I
CALL ON THOSE SERVING IN OTHER
JURISDICTIONS, PARTICULARLY
WITHIN THE THREE COUNTIES, TO
JOIN THE POLICE FORCE WHERE YOU
GET THE GREATEST PROFESSIONAL
CHALLENGE. I THINK THAT IS
VERY IMPORTANT. AND BEING A
FORMER NAVAL OFFICER IN THE
MILITARY, I CALL ON THOSE
SERVING IN UNIFORM IN THE
MILITARY OR OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS, NOT WITHIN
SEATTLE ITSELF, TO CONTINUE
JOINING SEATTLE PD. I ECHO MY
COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMEMBER
HOLLINGSWORTH ON THE CALL, FOR
ATHLETES TO JOIN THE SEATTLE
POLICE DEPARTMENT. REFERENCING
COUNCILMEMBER MOORE'S POINT, I
CALL ON WOMEN TO APPLY. THE 30
BY 30 MAY HAVE AN ESPN RING TO
IT, GOING BACK TO ATHLETES, BUT
IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO
REACH OUT TO WOMEN AND MAKE THE
ASK. IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO
MAKE THE ASK AND ASK THEM TO
MAKE A DIFFERENCE. BECAUSE
THEY CAN AND SHE CAN. AND I
CLOSE BY SAYING THAT I
ESPECIALLY CALL ON OUR YOUNG
LEADERS WHO WANT TO SERVE IN
PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC
SERVICE OVERALL AND ESPECIALLY
POLICING, TO LOOK PERHAPS
PAIRED WITH OTHER PROGRAMS LIKE
THE SEATTLE PROMISE PROGRAM, TO
LOOK INTO A CAREER AT THE
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
BECAUSE WE NEED OUR YOUNG
PEOPLE TO LOOK TO SERVE. AND SO
I ASKED THEM TOO AND ACROSS ALL
DISTRICTS OF THE CITY, TO JOIN
THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE
CITY. THANK YOU. WE HAVE
REACHED THE END OF TODAY'S
MEETING AGENDA AND HAVE GONE
AGAIN OVER. I APOLOGIZE TO MY
FELLOW COUNCILMEMBERS. I TRY TO
GO UNDER TWO HOURS. IS THERE
ANY FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME
BEFORE THE COMMITTEE? NO. SO
WE HAVE REACHED THE END OF
TODAY'S AGENDA. HAVING NO
FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE
THE COMMITTEE, WE ARE
ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.
>>